The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
by Unexpected-Adventures
Summary: The Company of Thorin Oakenshield is torn away from Middle Earth and land unexpectedly in the home of Hayden Parker - a 22 year old woman from England. Will they be able to find their way back to Middle Earth and if they do, what dangerous adventures await them? Rated T for romance scenes and language.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"The dawn will take you all!"

Gandalf the Grey stood upon a high rock above three Mountain trolls, holding his long staff above his head. With all his force, he brought it down on the rock, splitting it in half and showering the trolls in the bright rays of the sun. Before the trolls could gasp in pain their bodies slowly began to stiffen until they had completely transformed into solid rock.

The Company of Thorin Oakenshield all yelled out in delight as they looked up to their savior. Of the thirteen dwarves, half were tied in bundles on the ground, and the other half were slowly rotating over a large fire. Their burglar, Bilbo Baggins, stood in complete shock staring at the statues of the trolls.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked Gandalf in his deep powerful voice, after he and his kin had been untied.

"To look ahead," Gandalf replied lightly, walking over to where the dwarf stood.

"And what brought you back?"

"Looking behind."

Thorin smiled slightly and nodded his head in respect at the wizard.

"Nasty business," Gandalf continued, now examining the statues of the trolls with his staff, "Still, they are all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar," Thorin replied quickly, a dark shadow forming in his eyes as he thought of the trouble Bilbo Baggins had caused his Company.

Gandalf tore his eyes away from the statues and looked down upon Thorin. He was well aware that Thorin disapproved of the Hobbit, but Gandalf held no regret in appointing Bilbo Baggins as the fourteenth member of the Company. Though none of the dwarves – and not even Bilbo himself – could see it, the Hobbit held a great amount of potential.

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that."

Looking slightly repentant, Thorin left the subject and began observing the trolls as Gandalf had.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors," Gandalf stated wisely, seeing Thorin's curious gaze.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?"

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands…" Gandalf's voice trailed off as a look of foreboding crossed his face, and he gave Thorin a meaningful glance.

"But, they could not have moved in daylight."

"There must be a cave nearby."

* * *

The Company found a large cave close to the troll's campfire. From a single glance they could see it was full of treasure the trolls had been hoarding. As they neared the entrance a foul smell filled the air and they could hear the sounds of millions of flies surrounding the area.

"Oh, what's that stench?!" cried Nori.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch," said Gandalf warningly, and he led the way into the dark cave, followed closely by Thorin and the rest of the Company.

As they ventured deeper into the cave the ground became soggier and the smell even more pungent. The dwarves coughed and retched at the smell, but this did not last long as they became highly distracted by the amount of gold and treasure that the cave held.

Gloin, Bofur and Nori began digging holes in the dirt and filling them with chests of gold.

"We're makin' a long-term deposit!" Gloin grinned, seeing Dwalin's look of disgust.

Thorin, Gandalf and Bilbo stood furthest inside the cave examining a pile of swords covered in cobwebs and dust.

"These swords were not made by any troll," Thorin said, handing one to Gandalf.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men," Gandalf looked curiously at the sword and drew it from its sheath.

His eyes widened in realisation, "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age."

At this, Thorin went to throw the sword away in disgust, "You could not wish for a finer blade," Gandalf added to Thorin stiffly, and the dwarf reluctantly kept hold of the sword.

Leaving Thorin to his thoughts, Gandalf passed a small blade he had found buried in the soil to Bilbo.

"Here. This is about your size."

"I can't take this," Bilbo shook his head, refusing to take the blade.

"The blade is of elvish make, which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby."

"I have never used a sword in my life," said Bilbo, still shaking his head.

"And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

Bilbo looked up at Gandalf's wisened face, took the blade from his hands and drew it slowly from its sheath.

Before he could really inspect his new sword however, he felt something beneath his feet. Looking up at Gandalf, he saw that he was not only one who was feeling the earth vibrate. The dwarves all stopped listening quietly, as the ground began to shake roughly.

"Run! Get out of here!" Gandalf screamed, but it was too late.

The floor had begun to open up around them, the hole that Nori had been digging become a sort of sinkhole. As it spread wider and deeper, one by one the dwarves slipped into it, holding on to the edge in desperation.

Moving quickly, Thorin, Gandalf and Bilbo went to help the dwarves out of the hole but not fast enough. They felt the ground around them drop suddenly and they fell with a jolt into the blackness below them.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 1 of _An Unexpected_ _Journey_!**


	2. Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Arrival

**CHAPTER 1 - AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden Parker sat curled up on her living room couch with her face buried in a book. She had been reading non-stop for the entire day and didn't plan on retiring now that she was so close to the end.

Hayden lived in a spacious studio apartment in London, England, and spent most of her time in it, unlike any other 22-year-old university student in the country who was out partying and socialising. As a treat to herself for finishing her fifth-year of University with flying colours, she had spent the first day of her holidays reading her favourite book – _The Hobbit_, by J.R.R. Tolkien – for the umpteenth time.

_"You are a fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"  
"Thank goodness!" said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco jar._

As Hayden finished reading the last line of the book she sighed in satisfaction. Words truly couldn't describe how much she adored this book. Getting up from her warm spot near the fire, she went to her study to put the book back on the shelf and was debating whether she should begin reading the _Lord of the Rings_ again when she heard scuffling coming from her kitchen.

Her back stiffened in horror as she realised someone must have broken into her apartment. Looking around for a weapon, she grabbed the heaviest thing she could find – her replica of the sword of Narsil – and began to make her way quietly down the corridor.

_For burglars they aren't being very quiet_, she thought to herself suspiciously, and she stopped at the end of the corridor, the sword raised over her shoulder. Trying to calm her breath and slow down her anxious heartbeat, she listened closely.

"Get your foot out of my back!"

"My foot isn't in your back!"

"Not _you_ Nori, its Bofur!"

"Oi! I'll put it through your head in a minute!"

"Stop pushing-"

"Quiet!" A deep voice had interrupted the bickering and the voices fell silent.

_That's weird; I could've sworn they said Nori and Bofur… _Hayden thought, but shook it from her head, thinking that she really should give _The Hobbit_ a rest.

"Where in the name of Durin are we?"

"I can't think with your foot in my back!"

As the voices began squabbling again Hayden spared a glance around the corner. She couldn't believe her eyes. In the middle of her kitchen was a pile of men; short stocky men with thick beards. And standing over them was-

Hayden moved out of view again and started breathing heavily. The man she had seen standing over them was wearing a long grey coat, with a large pointed hat and a thin wooden staff. Chancing another glance she peeked around the corner shaking her head. The man looked exactly like-

"Gandalf," she whispered, in total disbelief.

Hearing the whisper, the man in the cloak looked up quickly just as Hayden disappeared into the corridor once again.

_Oh, shit! He saw me!_ And closing her eyes, thinking that she had been noticed anyway, she gathered all her courage and stepped out from the corridor, her sword shaking in her hands in front of her.

All the voices stopped immediately as they stared at the young girl. Hayden felt her face going red as all eye turned to her, but she held her ground. She was only small, and felt quite insignificant compared to them.

Slowly rising to their feet, the group of men untangled themselves finally and faced Hayden side by side. It was the strangest sight she had ever seen. The men – if they were even men – wore heavy armor and had long hair and beards. Most of them were about an inch shorter than her, and the few that were taller were not exactly giants either. She also noticed a slighter man standing behind them. He was as small as a child but his face was that of a 30-year-old man, with brown curly hair and large eyes.

_Impossible_, she thought, _they look exactly like Thorin's company…_

Shaking her head, she raised her chin in an attempt to seem more brave and hoped to god that her voice would work properly.

"What… uh… What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound as confident as she could. She felt her fingers becoming numb as she gripped the sword tighter to keep it steady.

At first none of them spoke for a while, but just stared at her and exchanged glances with each another. The tallest man in the robes stepped forward cautiously and smiled kindly at her.

"I beg your pardon, Madam. We did not mean to intrude," he said, his voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, but she could sense he was weary of how she would react, "It seems me and my company were sent here by mistake. I wonder if you could tell us where we are?" he continued, still polite as ever.

Hayden narrowed her eyes suspiciously. _This has to be some kind of a joke_, she thought, mainly to keep herself from thinking the impossible, _a holiday joke from my friends – they know how much I love the Hobbit_.

"It's um… I mean… we're in London… England," The man's eyes widened in shock and the group of men exchanged even more confused looks.

"And what year would it be, if I may ask?"

"Uh… 2013…"

"_2013?_" the man repeated, and he put his hand to his forehead, looking very light headed, and the other men reacted similarly.

"Ok… is this some kind of a joke?" Hayden asked, laughing nervously, "did my friends send you here to scare me or something?"

The man looked confused and said, "Joke? This is no joke, Madam," he said, looking gravely down at the man next to him, who had long black hair and was quite handsome.

The black haired man nodded sharply and walked forward towards Hayden, who stepped back and raised her sword in protest.

"Look, I don't know who you are but I _will_ use this if I have to."

He stopped and put his hands up near his face in response.

"I mean you no harm, Madam. I am Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain," and he gave her a small bow, holding out his hand.

That was about as much as Hayden could take, and the sword clattered to the ground noisily as she fainted.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 2 of ****_An Unexpected_****_Journey_****!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Thorin Oakenshield & Company

**CHAPTER 2 - THORIN OAKENSHIELD & COMPANY**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden slowly came back to consciousness after what felt like an entire night, but she did not open her eyes. Thinking hard about what had happened, she remembered a group of men in her kitchen, and one of them introducing himself as Thorin Oakenshield – _the _Thorin Oakenshield.

She smiled to herself and sighed. _That was the strangest dream I've ever had_, she thought, _I really do need to start reading a new book_.

She stretched her arms out to her side, opened her eyes and screamed in shock. She was lying in her bed in her apartment, and was surrounded by men – the men she had just convinced herself were apart of her strange dream.

Panicking, she sat bolt upright and looked around for her sword but she couldn't find it. One of the men with a long white beard suddenly lifted up his arm and held up her sword, "Looking for this?" he asked mockingly, and the other men laughed along with him as she attempted to swipe it from him and failed.

"This is not funny! Give it back!" she yelled exasperated, and grabbed fistfuls of her hair and shook her head from side to side, "This isn't happening… I'm going insane… What the _bloody hell_ _is going on!_"

She spun around on her bed like a crazed lunatic looking at each man.

"Please, lass, calm down," said one of the older men.

"Yes, Miss, we don't mean you no harm."

The others pitched in with words in attempt to calm her and she fell back on her bed again looking up at the ceiling.

"I've finally gone crazy. I'm in my room surrounded by men, who claim to be characters from a _book_," she muttered to herself, and heard them question one another about what she was talking about.

"Excuse me, lass, but we are no 'characters from a _book_,'" said one of the men.

She sat up again, tugging nervously at her long brown hair as she looked around once again frowning.

"What do you mean you're no characters from a book?" she laughed nervously, "You're kidding me? You're telling me that all of you are the dwarves from _The Hobbit_?"

They looked confused and tilted their heads, staring at her.

"What is _The Hobbit_?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped, "Holy shit…" she muttered, then quickly jumped up out of her bed and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She let out a series of curses that were extremely inventive, even for her, along with all her frustration and confusion, and then took deep calming breaths. She stood over the sink looking at her reflection in the mirror. Everything looked normal. She felt fine. Maybe her imagination was simply getting the better of her?

_No! It can't just be that, it can't just be a joke; no one puts this much effort into a prank!_ She thought to herself. She splashed her face with cold water and leaned against the wall.

"Ok. There's only one way to settle this," she muttered to herself.

* * *

In the living room of Hayden's apartment, Gandalf and Thorin sat on the couch with looks of horror on their faces.

They had realised dark magic was at work. Dark magic someone had set up that had allowed the Company to be hurled into another era of the world, one which was much too far in the future for them to comprehend.

In his readings, Gandalf had come across this only once before. Only an extremely powerful sorcerer could have completed this 'portal' – as it were known – to allow people to travel in time. The most important question though, was how to get back to their own time.

"I must do research, discover what this means," Gandalf muttered quietly to no one in particular, "Only then do we have a chance of returning to our own time."

"How could this have happened, Gandalf?" said Thorin, who was still in a state of shock.

"I do not know. But it is not by coincidence… no, there is a darker magic at work here…"

"But why here? Why now? Why in this lass' home?"

"I do not have any answers for you, Thorin. But there must be a reason…" he trailed off once again.

The wizard and the dwarf jumped as they heard a door slam and a series of particularly rude words echo from a room along the corridor.

Thorin smiled slightly, "We need to talk to the lass, Gandalf. She is the only one who can help us," Thorin made to stand up but Gandalf caught his forearm and held him back.

"We must be careful, Thorin. This girl is from a different time than ourselves and she is not handling our appearance well as it is-"

Gandalf broke off his warning as a door opened and the girl appeared in the living room, looking slightly more confident than she had a few hours ago. She stalked over to the couch facing opposite to where Thorin and Gandalf were and quickly sat down, crossing her legs and sitting her hands on her knees in a business-like manor.

She took a deep breath and looked at Thorin and Gandalf, who stared at her in return.

"Ok. I've thought this over," she said briskly, "And if you are who you say you are, you should easily be able to answer these questions."

The dwarf and the wizard exchanged curious looks but said nothing.

"What is the name of the sword Isildur used to defeat the Dark Lord Sauron with?"

Again the two looked at each other in silence.

_How does she know about the War of the Ring in the Second Age?_ Thorin thought in bewilderment.

But nonetheless Gandalf replied confidently, "The sword of Narsil, wielded by King Elendil of the Dúnedain."

The girl pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

"Ok… what was the stone that King Thror prized above all his treasures?"

This time it was Thorin's turn to answer, but his suspicions took hold of him first.

"How do you know of my grandfather?" he asked defiantly.

"Answer the question."

He paused, then at Gandalf's nod he said, "The Arkenstone."

There was a long moment of silence while the girl examined the two people sitting across from her. It made them both very uncomfortable to be scrutinized by a young girl.

"How do I know that you're not joking?" she said, obviously still suspicious.

Gandalf gave her a considerate look, then stood up silently and raised his staff. Muttering words to himself, he stamped the staff onto the ground and the apartment lost all its light, though the sun was still shining outside. With another knock, the apartment immediately lighted up again, revealing the girl sitting in a state of complete shock and bewilderment.

"How- how did you do that?"

"I am a wizard, my dear. I usually do not use my powers for such light deeds but in this case I thought it necessary."

Despite this explanation she continued to stare at Gandalf.

"Holy shit… holy shit… Gandalf the Grey is in my apartment…" she fell back and let her head hit the wall behind her, "But that means that…"

She whipped her head up and stood up suddenly, shocking Gandalf and Thorin.

"… You're the Company… _the_ Company."

Once again Gandalf and Thorin looked confused as to how this girl knew so much about their world, but they were glad to make some progress.

"You _are_ aren't you?" she asked, and they nodded their heads together, "Holy shit!" and she put her hands on her head thinking out loud, not hearing Thorin mutter, "She likes to curse doesn't she?"

"But that means those men," she pointed to her room, "those _men_ are the dwarves of Erebor?"

"How did you-?"

"Oh lord! And is Bilbo Baggins with you aswell?"

Now Gandalf and Thorin could barely cover their emotions from her. _How did this girl know so much about their company? She shouldn't even know about Middle Earth!_

But before Thorin could ask her the dwarves began filing out of the bedroom and into the living room, standing awkwardly huddled together.

The girl laughed out loud, making them all jump, "Oh, I don't believe this! The dwarves of Erebor! Wait, no, let me guess who you are."

And without fail, the girl named every single one of the dwarves, much to their surprise, stopping only as she reached Bilbo.

"Bilbo Baggins! I can't believe it! A real Hobbit!" she looked Bilbo up and down, much to his uncomfort, "You're just like he described you! The curly hair, big feet-"

"Excuse me, my dear, I don't mean to interrupt what looks like an exhilarating moment for you," Gandalf said, standing up from his seat, "But would you please enlighten us as to _how_ you know so much about our world?"

"What? You don't know?" she asked, looking around her and seeing them all shaking their heads baffled.

* * *

Hayden beckoned them all to find seats around the room, and ran off to find all of the Tolkien books she owned. She then proceeded to explain to them how J.R.R. Tolkien had written many novels and histories about them – though obviously they weren't as fictional as everyone thought they were.

When she had finally finished her long explanation (carefully skipping the end of _The Hobbit_ and any reference to _the Lord of the Rings_) they all sat in stunned silence, processing what they had just heard. Many of the dwarves were not able wrap their heads around it, but at least Gandalf, Thorin and Bilbo could easily understand why she had seemed so shocked to see them in the first place and why she was so excited when she realised it was _really_ them – apparently they were quite famous in this time.

"Well," said Gandalf, clapping his hands together, "Now that we understand one another Miss – uh… I am sorry, my dear, I don't believe I know your name."

Hayden paused for a moment, soaking in the fact that _Gandalf the Grey_ wanted to know her name, and quickly said, "Oh, sorry, I'm Hayden. Hayden Parker," and she held out her hand to Gandalf, who shook it politely. The dwarves all bowed and chorused, "At your service, Miss Parker."

She blushed slightly and said quietly, "Oh, Hayden is just fine."

"Right, Hayden. I wonder if you know where I could do my research. I assume since you know so much about our history there will be information available," said Gandalf.

"Oh, yes of course, um…" she looked at the time on her clock, "The library would be closed by now, but if you like I can go tomorrow morning and borrow as many books as I can for you?"

"That would be most kind of you, Miss Parker, thank you."

Hayden blushed even brighter.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 3 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Feeding the Company

**CHAPTER THREE – FEEDING THE COMPANY**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

**I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! And if you are, thank you for reading!**

* * *

When Hayden talked to Gandalf it felt like a strange dream – but a dream she would never have believed would come true. They discussed what information they would need from the library and a few times Hayden became distracted just looking at him or the rest of the Company, still in disbelief that they were sitting in her kitchen.

It finally clicked in her mind that they all must have been starving when she saw Bombur complaining about his empty stomach to his brother, Bofur.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said, standing up, "You all must be so hungry."

The dwarves all nodded in unison. _They're a lot quieter than I imagined_, she thought, _then again if I had time travelled to a place I didn't know I would be quiet too_. Hayden thought hard for a moment of where to get food fast, as she knew very well she didn't have enough food to feed all sixteen of them.

"Ok… um, I'll go out and get food, you all just make yourselves at home…" she finished awkwardly. _What do you say to a pack of dwarves who are supposed to be fictional?_

She ran to her room to get her coat and purse and as she came back out she knocked into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry-!" she said, and stopped when she saw it was Thorin. He had been extremely silent through her entire speech, and hadn't said a word to her since his introduction.

Thorin looked down on her and said simply, "I will accompany you."

"Oh, um, what?"

"I will go with you. You are going to need an extra pair of hands."

"Oh, right, yes, I suppose so… um…" she looked at Thorin's heavy armor and frowned, "Wait right here."

She disappeared for a moment and returned with clothes more suitable to walking around London in public, "These are spares I keep. I don't know if they'll fit you but you can try."

Thorin looked down at the clothes in disapproval but nodded and thanked her and she left the room to give him some privacy while he changed.

* * *

When Thorin emerged from her room he looked even more handsome than in his armor – _if that was even possible_. He wore jeans, a black fitted top that showed his defined muscles and a thick jacket. Hayden stared at him a little breathless.

"Well?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised and she smiled.

"You look great," which was a different opinion than his kin, who looked like they were going to burst out laughing at the sight of him. Only the fact that he was their King stopped them.

"Ok, we'll be back," Hayden said, and beckoned Thorin to follow her out the front door. As soon as they had stepped outside and the door clicked shut she heard the raucous laughter of the dwarves. Smiling to herself as she heard Thorin growl, she led him down the stairs and began walking down the street briskly.

She felt rather awkward walking alongside the Dwarf King.

_Say something!_ She thought to herself, _anything!_

But Thorin beat her to it, to her relief, "Where are all the lands?" he asked gruffly, easily keeping up with her quick pace. As he spoke his head looked around curiously at the tall buildings and the people that passed them, "Why are there so many _structures_?"

_What the hell are structures?_ She thought, and then she realised that he mustn't be used to this busy city life. It was rare to find buildings in Middle Earth; most of the lands were covered in grass or forest areas. _This must look so strange to him_.

"Um, well, this place is _very_ different to Middle Earth… I guess there are too many people living on the lands, so we need to build more houses where they can live…" she said, turning her head to look at his reaction, "Which destroys the forests," she added stiffly.

One of the many reasons she loved Tolkien's books was because of the focus he put on the environment. Like him, she hated the fact that beautiful forests were destroyed to accommodate for more people. What she wouldn't give to see a land like Middle Earth, without any tall buildings or noisy cars to distract you from nature.

"You do not like your home?" Thorin asked.

"Oh, no, I love my home," she said, not wanting to give the impression she was spoilt, "I just wish it were more like _your _home."

Thorin smiled slightly, "You really love Middle Earth, do you not?"

"Yes, I do," she sighed and smiled at him, "You don't know how many times I wished I was there… having an exciting adventure, seeing the Shire, Rivendell, Gondor, even Erebor."

Thorin raised an eyebrow at her, "You know of the Lonely Mountain?"

"Of course!" she smiled, as if this were obvious, "The greatest dwarf kingdom in Middle Earth. Home of the folk of Durin," she stated proudly. She loved rambling on about Middle Earth – though her friends hated it when she did.

"What?" Hayden asked him, noticing he was looking at her weirdly and he quickly changed the subject, "So, tell me about yourself, Miss Parker."

Hayden paused, taken aback at the idea that Thorin wanted to know about her.

"It seems you know all there is to know about my kin and I," he said, and Hayden blushed, "And I am curious to know more about you."

"Well… I've lived in London my entire life, and I've just graduated from university – oh, sorry, I guess you would call it school of some sort."

He looked impressed, "What did you study?"

"Oh, um, architecture," she added, and turned pink again at his surprise, "I know what you're thinking. How can she love nature so much yet want to design the buildings that destroy it?"

Thorin said nothing.

"But it's not _the buildings_ I don't like," she continued, "I _love_ old buildings and ruins. They have so much detail in them… I imagine Erebor is absolutely magnificent?"

Thorin nodded, "It is very beautiful…" and his voice trailed off longingly.

Noticing that she had said the wrong thing, she cleared her throat.

"You are surprisingly easy to talk to, you know?" she said to him, and he looked up in surprise, obviously not knowing what to say, "You look very scary and tough, but you're the only person I've ever talked to who hasn't told me to shut up about Middle Earth."

"Why would I tell you to 'shut up'?" he asked curiously.

"Let's just say my friends don't exactly like it when I ramble on about it," she laughed nervously, wondering if she should have brought up the topic in the first place.

"I would never tell you to shut up," Thorin said, and gave her one of his rare smiles.

She returned the smile, surprised that the harsh unforgiving Thorin she had read about in books was capable of such emotions.

Looking around her, she beckoned Thorin to follow her down a street that was extremely busy. Thorin kept up as best as he could, but was not used to making his way through large crowds of people.

Hayden reached out and grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her until she stopped in front of a red store with a bright neon sign.

"First stop, McDonalds," she said to him smiling, and quickly let go of his hand when she realised she had not let it go.

* * *

Thorin felt more like an idiot than he ever had in his long life wearing the clothes that Hayden had given him. As they made their way out the front door he let out a low growl when he heard the loud laughter of his kin back in the apartment.

He walked alongside Hayden, following her as she walked fast down the street. He was surprised to find that it wasn't as strange or awkward as he thought it would be walking with her. But he could tell she was struggling to find something to converse about, so he asked her the first question he could think of.

"Where are all the lands?" he asked, a but more rough than he had meant to, and quickly added in a lighter tone, "Why are there so many _structures_?"

The girl looked a little confused at his choice of words and explained slowly, "Um, well, this place is _very_ different to Middle Earth… I guess there are too many people living on the lands, so we need to build more houses where they can live… which destroys the forests," she added stiffly.

Thorin noted the sudden firmness in her voice, "You do not like your home?"

"Oh, no, I love my home," she said quickly, "I just wish it were more like _your _home."

Thorin smiled slightly at this, and realised she meant Middle Earth, not his real home Erebor, "You really love Middle Earth, do you not?"

"Yes, I do," she sighed and smiled, "You don't know how many times I wished I was there… having an exciting adventure, seeing the Shire, Rivendell, Gondor, even Erebor."

Thorin raised an eyebrow at the mention of his lost home, "You know of the Lonely Mountain?"

"Of course!" she smiled, "The greatest dwarf kingdom in Middle Earth. Home of the folk of Durin," she stated proudly.

Thorin couldn't help but notice her light up as she talked about his kingdom. He had watched her carefully as she talked elaborately to the Company and had seen the passion and spark in her eyes. There was no denying it, this lass was in love with Middle Earth.

"What?" Hayden asked him, and he quickly cleared his throat and rearranged his expression.

"So, tell me about yourself, Miss Parker," and she looked taken aback that he wanted to know about her, "It seems you know all there is to know about my kin and I and am curious to know more about you."

Thorin noted her blush slightly at this, and he could not help but notice how beautiful she was. Her brown hair and matching eyes and smile that danced playfully on her face were unlike features he had ever seen on any woman in Middle Earth.

"Well… I've lived in London my entire life, and I've just graduated from university – oh, sorry, I guess you would call it school of some sort."

He nodded impressed; not a lot of people in Middle Earth were properly educated.

"What did you study?"

"Oh, um, architecture," she added, and turned pink as he smirked, "I know what you're thinking. How can she love nature so much yet want to design the buildings that destroy it?"

Thorin said nothing, but this had been exactly what he was thinking.

"But it's not _the buildings_ I don't like," she continued, "I _love_ old buildings and ruins. They have so much detail in them… I imagine Erebor is absolutely magnificent?"

Thorin nodded, "It is very beautiful…" and his voice trailed off as his heart gave an uncomfortable wrench as he thought about his home, now further away than he could ever have imagined.

"You are surprisingly easy to talk to, you know?" she said, quickly changing the subject away from Erebor, "You look very scary and tough, but you're the only person I've ever talked to who hasn't told me to shut up about Middle Earth."

Thorin frowned, wondering why her friends would tell her to stop talking about something she obviously adored, "Why would I tell you to 'shut up'?"

"Let's just say my friends don't exactly like it when I ramble on about it," she laughed nervously, wondering if she should have brought up the topic in the first place. But he found it fascinating the way she talked about his home and his kin.

"I would never tell you to shut up," Thorin said, and gave her one of his rare smiles.

She returned the smile, and his mood lifted a little. He liked to see her smile, and even though he had only spent this short time with her, he already felt better just from being around her.

Thorin followed Hayden as she turned down a street and he was surprised at how big the crowd was. He tried his best to keep up with Hayden, who walked easily through the people, but he was struggling.

He saw her reach out and grab his hand, and his heart leapt at her touch, and pulled him along with her until she stopped in front of a store that smelt strongly of food.

"First stop, McDonalds," she said to him smiling, as if he would know what this name meant. She turned red suddenly and let go of his hand, realizing she had not let it go.

As she turned away she didn't notice Thorin grin wider than he had in a long time.

* * *

**What did you all think of Thorin's p.o.v? I thought it was important to add in during these first chapters just to show his feelings towards Hayden :3 It won't happen too much though - I want to keep him mysterious! **

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 4 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Dinner with Dwarves

**CHAPTER 4 - DINNER WITH DWARVES**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

When Hayden and Thorin returned to the apartment half an hour later their arms were full to bursting with brown paper bags, pizza boxes and packets of hot chips.

_Thank god he came with me_, Hayden thought as she made to quickly grab a McDonald's bag that was slipping from the pile. She smiled to herself as she remembered the expression of the girl serving when she had ordered 13 large Big Mac meals to go.

Hayden felt a little guilty that this food was the best she could offer the Company. So she made a pact to herself to visit the grocery store the next day and prepare well-cooked meals for them during their stay.

Hayden and Thorin walked up the stairs to the apartment, carefully watching their steps. Thorin, who didn't seem to be struggling at all, opened the door for her and stepped back to let her through first.

That night was easily one of the best of her life. Gandalf had been right in saying that dwarves were a merry gathering, because indeed they were.

The dwarves surrounded Hayden and Thorin as soon as they walked in, taking the load of food off their hands and setting it on the table, where they immediately began to divide the food. As she didn't have a table suitable for 16 people, the dwarves set themselves up around the living room and kitchen, eating with no restraint.

Hayden sat at the table with Gandalf, Thorin and Bilbo and couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She could understand now why Bilbo had freaked out when the dwarves had pillaged his cupboard and taken over his kitchen, but she didn't mind. In her eyes, the mess and the noise were more than worth it.

Hearing her laugh the dwarves all looked up at her and raised their glasses – or more plastic cups and mugs – cheering her name. They then began to sing a merry tune that she new all too well, and which made Bilbo sigh and put his head in his hands.

_Blunt the knives bend the forks. Smash the bottles and burn the corks.  
_

_Chip the glasses and crack the plates. That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

_Cut the cloth tread on the fat. Leave the bones of the bedroom mat._

_Splash the wine on every door. Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl._

_Pound them up with a thumping pole; and when you've finished, if they are whole,_

_Send them down the hall to roll! That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

The dwarves began dancing around the room and one of them – _Kili_, she thought it was – grabbed her by the arm and danced with her. She twirled around the room dancing with each dwarf, singing along with the song that she had memorized such a long time ago. When the song ended with a loud bang she was back with Kili who smiled down at her cheekily and winked.

One by one the dwarves returned to their food. As Hayden took her seat at the table again she noticed Thorin had been staring at her while she was dancing. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she turned and began a conversation with Bilbo about the Shire, ignoring the fact that both Gandalf and Thorin were watching her intently.

"Is it as beautiful as they say, Bilbo? I've always wanted to live in a hobbit hill, peace and quiet, rolling hills and bright green grass…"

Her voice trailed off and Bilbo looked lost for words. He had never encountered someone who talked so ravenously about his home.

"Um, well, yes I suppose it is, Miss Parker," he said quietly, smiling politely at her.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Thorin raise his eyebrows as Gandalf, as if to say, _"I told you so."_

"Gandalf, what are the other wizards in your order like?"

Gandalf hid his wonder and returned her question with a question.

"Do you mean anyone in particular, my dear?"

"Oh, no… Well I suppose I would love to know about Radagast… _and _Saruman of course, though he always seemed very suspicious to me… and the other two but I can never remember their names…" she trailed off frowning, trying to remember the two blue wizards.

Thorin gave Gandalf a meaningful look but Gandalf ignored him and merely smiled, continuing to ask Hayden more questions. Not once did she fail to answer correctly and Gandalf fell back in his chair.

"Is there any limit to your knowledge, Miss Parker?" Gandalf smiled at her and she shrugged. There was something she had wanted to ask since they had arrived.

"Um, how did you get here?" she asked. They had spent so much time questioning her about what she knew that they had not explained to her how they had come to be in her apartment. This time, it was Thorin who answered.

"We were fooled by dark magic," Thorin said heavily, "My company and I had found a troll cave and were examining the treasures when the ground shook and split. We fell into it and landed here in your home."

"That can't be right…" Hayden muttered to herself, "That's not what's supposed to happen at all…"

Gandalf sat up straight in his chair and leaned forward intently.

"And what _is _supposed to happen, Miss Parker?" he asked quietly, so only the four at the table could hear him.

Following his lead and keeping her voice low Hayden said, "Well, you defeated the trolls obviously. Then you realised they could not have moved in daylight, and that's when you found the cave… but…"

"Yes?" Gandalf asked, edging her to continue. He did not seem surprised that she knew about the trolls after his interrogation of her.

"But you were not supposed to fall into the hole… You _should_ have gotten out of the cave fine and then met Radagast…"

"Radagast? Radagast the Brown?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes," Hayden said, nodding confidently, "Radagast was exploring the Greenwood to see what was causing the dark magic within it when he came across your company."

"I see…"

"Gandalf, I really shouldn't be telling you this, as it seems the book is a lot different than the real thing… but it must have already happened…"

"What has happened?"

"Well… Radagast visited Dol Guldur and found a Necromancer hiding in its ruins who has been corrupting the Greenwood with dark magic…"

"Impossible! No evil Necromancer exists, the only one Middle Earth held was destroyed many years ago."

"And that should be true. But in the ruins Radagast found a relic of Mordor… the blade of the Witch-King of Angmar..."

"The Morgul-blade?" Gandalf whispered, shaking his head, "It's impossible! The blade was buried with him deep in the rock, impenetrable by man and wizard alike!"

"Gandalf, please, I know this is hard to believe but you have to trust me when I tell you this," Hayden said, exasperated, "I think this Necromancer is the reason why you were sent here. Ridding Middle Earth of the Company will reorder time and allow _him _to rise to power again!"

"_Him?_" Thorin repeated, clearly confused as to where this was going, "Who?"

But Hayden did not need to answer as Gandalf raised his head gloomily.

"Sauron."

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 5 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Future of The Company

**CHAPTER 5 - THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden saw no other alternative than to tell Gandalf what she knew about the Company's future. Only then could he understand just how dangerous it was for them to be away from Middle Earth at this particular time.

The wizard and the girl sat in her study away from the curious ears of others and slowly she told Gandalf the tale of _the Hobbit_. He did not interrupt her to ask questions, but simply stared, thinking deeply about what she was saying.

When she had finished explaining the Battle of the Five Armies – though not going into detail about deaths – she then proceeded to the beginning of the War of the Ring in the Third Age. She limited her explanation to Frodo Baggins receiving the Ring from his Uncle Bilbo, and the fact that the Dark Lord Sauron had sent his Ring Wraiths to find and return his most powerful weapon.

"So, you see, if Bilbo isn't in Middle Earth to find the Ring, Gollum will never lose it. And when it comes the time when the Ring Wraiths are sent to find the ring, they will find it with Gollum, and Middle Earth will fall to the power of Sauron."

Gandalf shook his head wearily, "This is worse than I could ever have imagined… But nevertheless, one must look on the bright side of a bad situation!" Hayden smiled at his positivity, "The Necromancer couldn't have chosen a better place to send us, Miss Parker."

She smiled brightly and looked down at her knees, embarrassed.

"Right, we should get some sleep. I think I'm right in saying this has been a hard day for everyone," Gandalf said, looking kindly at Hayden.

She nodded and went to stand up but heard something strange; yelling and screaming coming from the living room.

"Oh, shit! They found the TV!"

Leaving Gandalf looking baffled, Hayden ran out to find all the dwarves facing the television screen with their swords and axes drawn ready for battle.

"Stop! Stop!" she yelled, and ran in front of the television to protect it.

"But we must prepare for battle, young lass!" cried Dwalin.

"Battle? What Battle?" she looked at the TV screen and saw her recording of _Game of Thrones_ was playing. _Typical_, she thought, _the first time they see a television and the most violent and sexual show just happens to be on._

"Ok, calm down, I'll explain everything," and she put her hands out in front of her, gesturing for them to drop their weapons.

Slowly but suspiciously, the dwarves lowered their axes and swords to the ground.

"Ok, how do I explain this?" she muttered to herself, "In your home, you have play's right? I mean, theatre where people act out scenes, yes?"

They all nodded slowly, clearly not understanding what this had to do with anything.

"Ok, well, in my time, we do that aswell, _but_ when the actors act out the scenes, special people record it. And so when people like me want to watch it, we turn on this thing called the television," she gestured towards the TV behind her, "And we can watch it as many times as we want."

She watched as the dwarves stared at her with expressionless faces.

After a while one of them spoke, "The fighting," Oin said, pointing at the TV, "not real?"

"Yes, exactly!" Hayden said relieved, "It's not real. It's acting."

There were a few nods and "OH's" from the dwarves but she figured she had got through to them. Picking up the remote, she pressed the main menu button so as to find a much less graphic show for them to watch.

While searching the channels she explained to them, "There are all types of plays on here, but they are called _TV Shows_. There are also things called _movies_ as well, that are like TV Shows but longer."

As she flicked to the 'Animal Planet' channel to keep them entertained, she had a sudden idea. She walked over to the corridor entrance where Gandalf stood. The wizard had been watching her with amusement as she explained the concept to the Company.

"Gandalf, I have an idea which might help you understand everything a lot better," she said to him, and he nodded, obviously willing to try everything to help their situation.

Hoping that this was the right thing to do, Hayden put _The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure_ in her computer in the study, and sat down next to Gandalf.

She had decided against showing the dwarves the movie, thinking that if the adventure were to continue as planned when they were eventually returned to Middle Earth, they did not need to know what was ahead of them.

Hayden carefully watched Gandalf's expression throughout the movie. He gave a small chuckle as he first saw himself appear on the screen, but asked no questions, merely choosing to watch intently and soak in all the information.

At the end of the film, when Smaug's eye appeared from under the pile of gold and the screen turned black, Gandalf said nothing for a long while.

After much thinking and frowning, he turned to Hayden and nodded his head, indicating to her that he now understood perfectly well why it was so important for them to return to Middle Earth as soon as possible.

Hayden let out a sigh of relief, knowing now that showing the wizard the movie had been the right thing to do.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 6 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Textbooks & Runes

**CHAPTER 6 - TEXTBOOKS & RUNES**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

The next morning Hayden rose earlier than she usually would. She had slept in the study on a sleeping bag after offering her bedroom to Gandalf and the spare bedroom to Bilbo. The dwarves had all slept on the floor and the couches in the living room, with as many pillows and blankets as Hayden could find.

Wiping her eyes and running a hand through her long brown hair, she got up and dressed in the laundry as quietly as she could. She planned on going for her usual morning walk and then visiting the library to borrow books on the history of Middle Earth.

Muttering to herself distractedly about where she had put her iPod and tying her hair into a high ponytail, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh!" she gasped and saw Thorin behind her put a finger to his lips, "You scared me!"

"Sorry," and he gave her a small smile. She liked it when he smiled, it made him look a lot less intimidating than usual, "Where are you going?"

"Out," she said, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"May I come with you?"

Taken aback she didn't answer for a moment but just stared up at his handsome face. His eyes were a stormy black, but had a little glint of light in them that she hadn't noticed before…

He cleared his throat and looked at her amused.

"Oh, sorry… um… what did you say?"

He let out a small chuckle and repeated his question.

"Oh, um sure. I'll wait out there for you."

She let herself out of the laundry awkwardly and waited in the kitchen for him. The dwarves were sleeping in a huddle in the middle of the floor, covered in blankets and pillows. This would be the best sleep they had had in a long time, knowing that there were no orc packs waiting to kill them in their sleep.

She smiled and watched them sleeping peacefully. The idea that these dwarves were from the great Kingdom of Erebor in Middle Earth was still being processed in her brain. Never in a million years did she imagine that they would be in her living room!

"Enjoying yourself?"

Thorin was leaning on the doorframe of the corridor giving her a curious stare. He had changed into the shirt and jacket that Hayden had given him the day before, but had kept on his usual pants and boots.

She smirked at him, "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"I hope you're a good runner," she grinned after closing the front door behind them, and without another word she leapt down the stairs and began jogging down the street.

Thorin grinned; he loved a challenge. Quickly following her down the stairs he ran to catch up with Hayden, who was now jogging at a brisk pace. Like on their walk together the day before, Thorin easily kept up with her.

"Why do you do this?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"What running? Just exercise," returning his gaze. _How is it possible that he looks even more handsome when he's running? _

He smirked at her and she frowned, trying to watch where she was running while holding his gaze, "What? You don't need to exercise in Middle Earth?"

"There is no need to."

_Well, isn't that a perfect world? Sign me up!_ "So how do you stay fit?" she asked, trying not to make it obvious that she had more than noticed his defined muscles and perfect physique.

"My kin are always moving. Always working. We do not need to run to stay 'fit,'" he put simply, and sped up so that he was now running.

"Hey!" Hayden shouted and she picked up her pace to keep up with him.

They didn't talk for a while as Hayden concentrated on keeping level with him. There was no doubt he was a good runner, even though he technically didn't have the build for it – he looked more like a body builder.

As they came closer to the library the streets became busier with school kids and people on their way to work. Hayden noticed a lot women staring at Thorin as he passed them, their eyes looking him up and down with satisfaction. She thought it was odd that despite his unusual long hair and beard they were still attracted to him, but that didn't stop her from glaring at them as she passed.

_Why be jealous? He's not yours_, she thought bitterly, but she couldn't help but feel resentment towards the women gawking at Thorin. _He did land in my apartment, didn't he? That has to mean something…_

She glanced over at Thorin and was pleased to see that he looked as though he had not even notice the women's gazes and was concentrating on running alongside her.

When finally they had reached the library after a solid ten minutes of running Hayden bent over, hands on her knees. She had never run so hard for so long before. Thorin, however, looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Are you okay?" Thorin asked, and when she looked up she saw a smirk playing on his striking face. She stood up straight and pushed him away playfully, and his smirk turned into a wide grin.

Shooting him one last glare she entered the library, where she continued to look for all the items she could that were based on Middle Earth, and Thorin followed her closely, looking intently at all the books.

In the end she decided on the _Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle Earth_ and five volumes of _The History of Middle-Earth_.

The librarian at the counter, a pretty young woman with long blonde hair, looked curiously at Hayden and Thorin as they placed the six books on the bench to be checked out – although Hayden was under the impression she was more interested in Thorin than the books, from the way she kept flicking her hair and glancing at him every chance she got.

When the books had all been scanned they went to leave, but the librarian stopped them. "Excuse me," she said shyly, looking at Thorin, "Are you seeing anyone?"

Thorin frowned at her, "Actually I-"

"_Actually_ he's my husband," Hayden said sharply and, balancing the books in one arm, she grabbed Thorin by the hand and dragged him away from the longing gaze of the girl.

Hayden saw out of the corner of her eye Thorin raise his eyebrows at her as they exited the library.

"What?" she asked him innocently. _Did I really just call Thorin Oakenshield my husband? Is the title boyfriend not in my vocabulary? He must think I'm such a moron, acting like some jealous schoolgirl. _

"You told that lass I was your husband," Thorin stated, but Hayden could see the question in his expression.

"Oh, right that," she laughed nervously and blushed furiously, "I just- I don't appreciate girls _drooling_ all over you."

She saw a small smile beginning to form on his lips and quickly added, "Because you're a King and… uh… you need to be treated with respect." She finished stupidly, wanting to smack herself hard in the face. _Could I be acting more like an idiot? Argh!_

"I do not know what you mean by girls 'drooling all over me,' but it seems to me that you are a bit jealous."

Hayden bit her lip nervously and avoided his gaze, suddenly finding the cover of a book she was holding very interesting.

"I'm _not _jealous. I'm a grown woman, I don't get jealous," she said, hoping her voice sounded convincing enough.

"Really?" he said, not bothering to hide his curiosity, "So in saying I was your husband you were merely protecting me from other women?"

She nodded confidently, though still didn't meet his gaze.

"Then why are you still holding my hand?"

"What-?"

Hayden looked down in horror. She hadn't bothered to let go of his hand after she had dragged him out of the library, and hadn't noticed they had walked at least a quarter of the way home hand in hand.

Quickly, she tore her hand away from his and looked away once again to hide her face that was turning an even darker shade of red.

For the rest of the walk she avoided looking anywhere in his direction, scared to see the expression that was on his face, and didn't talk until they had safely reached her apartment.

* * *

The dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf were standing around eating a breakfast of leftover dinner and what little they could find in the pantry when Hayden and Thorin arrived back at the apartment.

Gandalf was delighted to see the books they had brought back for him, and as soon as they had placed them on the desk in the study, he and Bilbo immersed themselves in them, hardly reappearing for the rest of the day.

The dwarves kept themselves busy by doing the duties Gandalf had strictly given out the night before, not wanting to create a burden for Hayden.

Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, Oin and Gloin were to cook the meals each day – which they found a hard task given the small amount of food Hayden kept – and Ori, Nori, Dori, Balin and Dwalin were in charge of cleaning up the kitchen before and after meals. Fili and Kili were told specifically to keep out of everyone's way, as they had a particular habit of causing trouble.

As for Thorin, he was to plan out the rest of their quest, while Gandalf and Bilbo searched for a way to return them back to Middle Earth as soon as possible. Hayden offered Thorin her desk in her room, which would give him a quiet place to work and think, and she sat on the couch watching the antics of the dwarves and thought hard about her trip to the library with Thorin, wondering what he thought of her.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 7 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	8. Chapter 7 - A Message from Thror

**CHAPTER 7 - A MESSAGE FROM THROR**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Thorin had sat quiet in Hayden's room for almost an hour. He was meant to be examining Thror's map and plotting out their next move, but it was hard to know where they would end up on their travel back to Middle Earth. It also didn't help that everything in this room reminded him of Hayden.

When he had first entered Hayden's room he had not been expecting much – as a respectable Dwarf Prince he had never been inside the room of a young girl. Three of the walls were a plain white, but the fourth was plastered inch by inch with posters. As soon as Hayden had left the room and closed the door, Thorin had examined the wall.

He had never seen things like this before. In Middle Earth if one wanted to capture a scene or a group of people, you had to paint it. But he had heard Hayden mention something the day before about 'photos;' kind of snapshots that were like paintings only faster and easier than waiting for an artist.

There were many things he recognised: a map of Middle Earth, a large photo of the Shire and Rivendell – which he sneered at in distaste – a copy of Thror's map identical to the one Gandalf had given him not so long ago, and a long image of the Company. Thorin examined this photo closely. All thirteen dwarves were featured in it, including the Hobbit and Gandalf. Thorin stood the tallest out of the dwarves in the middle of the photo. Smiling slightly, he looked around at the other photos. There was a black sign in the far right corner which showed the numbers 9¾, a poster of a teenage boy with black hair and glasses with the title 'Harry Potter,' and other images with groups of people in it which he could only assume were musical groups.

Out of all these posters and photos, though, there was one section, which stood out the most to him. They were not pictures of mystical lands or fictional characters, but of a group of young girls and boys. He realised they must be pictures of Hayden and her friends as he examined each picture, which all contained the familiar small girl with long brown hair.

The first few images were of Hayden with her group of friends smiling and laughing, but as he moved down they became more focused on Hayden and a particular lad. Hayden with her arms wrapped around the lad, Hayden holding hands with the lad, Hayden kissing the lad on the cheek, Hayden kissing the lad-

Thorin turned his back on the wall, not being able to look at the photos anymore, and sat down in the chair facing the desk. He frowned as his heart fell slightly in disappointment. Did Hayden Parker have a lover that she had forgotten to mention to him? Was he imagining her jealousy of him and her flirtatious behaviour?

Thorin tried his best to concentrate on the journey of the Company, but found his thoughts always trailed back to her. Giving up hope of getting planning of any sort finished, he sat and stared at Thror's map, thinking of Hayden… the photos of her and _that lad_… the photos on her wall… _the photos on her wall?_

Picking up the map quickly he spun around, his eyes searching for one poster in particular that he had seen before. And there it was – the replica of Thror's map, but with _one _difference that he hadn't noticed before. The map on the wall showed the same area of Middle Earth, the Misty Mountains and the Desolation of Smaug. But where on his map was a blank space, the poster version had runes – _Ancient Dwarf Runes_. His heart leaping at the thought that he may have just found the hidden entrance to the Lonely Mountain he ran out to tell Gandalf.

"Gandalf! Gandalf!" Thorin's voice boomed down the corridor and the dwarf came running into the study where Gandalf and Bilbo sat pouring over the thick volumes.

"What is it, Thorin?" Gandalf asked, closing his book.

"I have found the secret entrance - the secret entrance to the Lonely Mountain!" Thorin yelled, and he beckoned Gandalf to follow him to Hayden's room, where he continued to point out the runes on it that were missing from the original map.

"Well, bless my soul!" Gandalf cried, smiling cheerfully as he inspected the runes more closely, "Ancient Dwarvish – how fascinating!"

"So what do they say?" Thorin asked the wizard, trying to keep his excitement down.

"Well, I was hoping _you_ could tell me that, Master Dwarf," Gandalf said, now turning to look at Thorin's crestfallen expression.

"Of course I couldn't! I cannot possibly read them," Thorin said, staring confusedly at the runes. He hid the fact that he had not actually been educated in reading the runes of his kin – there were few in Middle Earth who could nowadays.

"So we have a clear answer to where we are to enter the mountain and no one to read them!" Thorin yelled exasperated, throwing himself back into his chair in annoyance.

"What's going on in here?"

Hayden, who had heard Thorin's screams for Gandalf, had come to inspect what was happening in her bedroom. She raised an eyebrow at Gandalf who had been closely inspecting her wall like he was looking for miniscule cracks in it.

"Ah, Miss Parker! Perhaps you could help us?"

She nodded to the old wizard, "What is it?"

"Well, Master Thorin here has just discovered hidden runes on the map that guides our journey, and we are quite sure they may lead us to a secret entrance of the Lonely Mountain," Gandalf explained, hoping that the girl's knowledge would not fail them now, and to his delight, it didn't.

"Oh, you mean the Ancient Dwarf Runes?" she asked, and saw that Gandalf had been examining her replica of Thror's map on her wall, "I have a translation around here somewhere that I scribbled down…" she trailed off and she stepped distractedly around Thorin looking for her notebook.

"I would have had one of our own dwarves translate it, but it seems-"

"They wouldn't know how to read it, of course, hardly anyone in the third age was educated to read the ancient languages," she muttered to Gandalf, still searching through the papers on her desk.

Gandalf beamed and shook his head in disbelief, "Honestly, is there anything you do not know, Miss Parker." But she was not paying attention; she had just found a brown notebook underneath a stack of files.

"Hah! Found it!" she yelled triumphantly and dodged around Thorin once again to sit on her bed across from him. Gandalf leaned over curiously to look at the pages of the notebook as she quickly skimmed through them.

"Here it is," she said, smiling proudly at the page she had found. She handed the notebook to Gandalf, who saw the page contained a drawing of the runes and the translation below in neat handwriting.

_Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's day will shine upon the keyhole._

* * *

_**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 8 of An Unexpected Journey!**_


	9. Chapter 8 - In the Company of a King

**CHAPTER 8 - IN THE COMPANY OF A KING**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

**Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited my story, and to all of you giving such fantastic reviews! It really means a lot to me that you are enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it :)**

**So without further ado here is Chapter 8!**

* * *

Gandalf read the translation out loud to Thorin and beamed radiantly at Hayden, "I supposed you know what this means as well, my dear?"

Hayden smiled coyly, "I can't believe you still need to ask that question, Gandalf." She leaned over to where he was standing and turned the page over to reveal more notes on the runes.

Gandalf read them through thoroughly, "Yes…" he muttered.

Thorin looked curiously at Gandalf, waiting for an explanation, but Gandalf seemed too enthralled in the notes to want to explain, so Hayden did.

"It means," she said, turning to Thorin and feeling dangerously close to forgetting what she was about to say, "That the keyhole will reveal itself on Durin's Day, when you are standing in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Only then can you open the secret entrance."

Thorin nodded stiffly, trying to look like he was not impressed by her knowledge.

Hurt and confused that he had hardly acknowledged her, Hayden looked back at Gandalf, who was turning through the pages of her notebook in delight.

"My dear! You have quite the wealth of knowledge in this book!"

"Oh, right, I suppose. I tried to scribble down all my notes into it that I found when I was reading the books."

"And where did you learn to write in Ancient Dwarvish and Elvish, may I ask?"

"I taught myself," Hayden replied smiling, "There's hardly a school course that teaches you all about Middle Earth – though I wish there were!"

"Indeed…" Gandalf muttered, "You also seem to have quite a lot of information written about the Royal Line of Durin… particularly the younger generations…"

Gandalf smiled curiously at the young girl, who flushed and quickly snatched the book out of his hands.

"Purely academic of course, Gandalf!" she said, avoiding the gaze of the dwarf in the chair behind her, "But if you're going to be like that you aren't allowed to see any more of my notes!" she added smartly.

Gandalf laughed at the girl's sudden change in attitude and stole a glance at Thorin, who, if he was not mistaken, had also turned an embarrassing shade of pink and was avoiding looking anywhere near Hayden.

"I should be getting back to Kili, he was planning some awful trick on his brother when I left-"

"Not so fast, my lady, I will need your help interpreting some Ancient languages."

"Oh alright," she nodded, "Let me just find a pen…"

"Oh, that won't be necessary. There is hardly any room in the study, what with Bilbo and myself already in it. Here is fine, and you can keep Master Thorin company."

"Right… ok…" she said awkwardly, not really wanting to stay in the same room as Thorin after the way he had treated her.

Gandalf disappeared from the room to gather the books, leaving Hayden and Thorin in a particularly awkward silence. Thinking quickly that she could not just stand there, she made her way to her desk to search for a pen.

"Shit! Why can't I ever find a pen…" she muttered to herself, and she heard Thorin let out a snicker at her use of language.

Ignoring him, she found a pen lying on the floor beneath her desk just as Gandalf returned with the books that had marks on the pages that he needed translated.

"Ok, I should have these done soon," she said to Gandalf as he placed the books gently on her bed.

"You truly are a life saver, my dear. You do not know how valuable you are to our Company," he said a little too significantly than he should have, giving Thorin a meaningful glance and disappearing from the room once again.

Shaking her head and smirking at the weird antics of the wizard, Hayden jumped onto her bed and laid on her stomach, beginning to interpret the first Ancient Dwarf Rune.

Thorin watched her carefully, noticing her eyebrows furrow in concentration as she scribbled onto the thin pages of her notebook.

Being around Hayden made him feel happier than he had in a long time, but he could not forget the photos he had seen on her wall.

"Can I help you, Thorin?" Hayden asked, not looking up from her notes.

Thorin cleared his throat uneasily and decided he might as well ask her.

"Who is that- that _lad_ in those 'photos' you call them, over there," and he pointed towards the corner of her room where he had seen them.

Hayden turned to look where he was pointing at and sat up slowly.

"Oh, that's Sam," she said, a sudden look of sadness in her eyes as she stared at the photos.

"Is he your- your lover?"

Hayden snorted with laughter, "_Lover?_ Well, I guess you could say that," and Thorin's heart fell through the floor in pain, "He was my, uh, _boyfriend_, as we call it here."

Thorin looked up, a spark of hope in his eyes, "_Was?_"

"Yes, _was_. We broke up a few weeks ago… I guess I forgot to take the pictures down…" she said, looking heartbroken at the photos of her and Sam.

As happy as he was that she was no longer with that _Sam_, Thorin couldn't bare to see her so unhappy. He moved slowly over to sit on the bed in front of her, and entwined his hand with hers.

Her hand was small and soft, compared to his, which was strong, rough and calloused. She tore her eyes from the photos and looked at Thorin, giving him a weak smile. Her eyes were slightly glazed as tears had begun to form.

Rubbing her eyes and sniffing embarrassed, she quickly muttered to herself, "Sorry, I'm being stupid. Crying over a boy. Nothing compared to what you've been through…"

Thorin had no doubt she knew fully of his past, but it did not bother him as much with her beside him. He raised her chin gently with his finger, "Do not think that your sorrows are of lesser importance than my own."

She nodded, still sniffing her tears back. They looked at each other for a long while, his fingers not moving away from her face and their hands still intertwined.

"I should probably get these translations done," she laughed, giving his hand a small squeeze and releasing it from her own.

Still smiling she returned to her notebook, but Thorin stayed on the bed across from her, watching as she quickly translated the ancient runes into the common tongue.

"How did you learn Ancient Dwarvish? Even the smartest of my kin do not know," asked Thorin as she finished translating the first of the runes.

"Oh, it's quite simple really. All you need is the proper books and charts."

Thorin looked at her blankly and she riffled through her notebook to find a chart for dwarf runes. When she found it, she passed it to Thorin and explained how it showed a rune and it's equivalent in the alphabet of the common tongue. There were only a few exceptions, where when certain runes were placed together created a unique word or sound. Thorin was not surprised that Hayden had memorized all of the runes and their equivalents.

"You see, it's really not that difficult once you know what to look for."

She began showing him the new Runes she was translating and he shuffled over to sit beside her, watching fixedly as she translated each rune carefully.

For close to two hours Hayden sat on the bed translating the Runes of Ancient Dwarvish and Elvish and Thorin did not falter at her side once. He was mesmerized by her attention to detail and beautiful handwriting.

A few times Hayden had to start a translation over again because she had become too distracted by the dwarf sitting next to her. She could feel his warm breath on her arm and it gave her shivers throughout her body. It was hard for her to focus with such an attractive specimen sitting so close to her.

When she had finally finished the last translation she threw her pen and notebook down in triumph.

"Thank God that's over," she muttered and stretched out her arms and fingers.

"You truly are amazing, do you know?" Thorin said, smiling at her.

"I do know, but thank you for reminding me," she said cheekily and winked at him, grinning. It was strange how comfortable she felt around him even though they had only known each other for less than two days.

Thorin chuckled, "Good. You do not know how valuable you are to the Company… and to me."

That last part took her by surprise – _a lot_ by surprise.

"Really?" she asked, and she could feel him leaning closer to her.

"Yes," he smiled, still not backing away.

_Is he going to kiss me? What do I do? _She thought in panic, an inner battle going on within her mind, _I can't possibly get involved with him! But he is so gorgeous… He belongs in Middle earth and I belong here! But maybe one kiss wouldn't hurt…_

She could feel his breath on her face; he was so close now she could count the specks in his amazing eyes. She closed her eyes, waiting to feel his lips crush against hers…

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffy! I promise I will post the new chapter asap.**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 9 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	10. Chapter 9 - Dwarf Antics

**CHAPTER 9 - DWARF ANTICS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Bilbo Baggins knocked on the door of Hayden's bedroom and peered inside to find Hayden shuffling around her notes distractedly and Thorin staring a little too hard at the wall in front of him. Bilbo immediately got the feeling he had interrupted something between them.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but Gandalf sent me to fetch the translations, if they are ready Miss Parker?"

"Oh, yes of course, Bilbo. I'll bring them to the study in a moment," said Hayden, not exactly meeting Bilbo's eyes when she addressed him.

He left the room awkwardly, cursing his impeccable timing.

As soon as Bilbo had disappeared Thorin had been expecting to hear the door open and close once again, but it didn't. Hayden had gathered up her notes and was gazing at him.

In one swift movement, she moved around the bed and kissed Thorin softly on his cheek.

"Thank you," she muttered to him, and with that she left the room with notes and books in her hands, leaving behind a thoroughly red yet satisfied dwarf.

* * *

Hayden spent the remainder of the afternoon with the dwarves and Bilbo while Gandalf and Thorin discussed their findings.

She found the dwarves extremely amusing to watch. They would fight, wrestle, play jokes on one another, and sing and dance. At one point Hayden had turned on her radio to the Top 20 Countdown to see their reaction to the 21st century music. But despite not knowing any of the words to the songs, they recognised the beat and began to dance merrily around the room.

When it came to about four o'clock Hayden began thinking about going to the store for food, but she was distracted when she noticed Fili and Kili had begun sword fighting dangerously close to her television.

"Hey! No sword fighting near the TV! How many times do I have to tell you two?" she yelled at the young dwarves and made to snatch the swords from them. She managed to grab Fili's, but Kili skillfully dodged her just in time and jumped up onto the couch out of her reach.

"Oh, for the love of God, Kili!" Hayden yelled exasperated, but the dwarf merely stuck out his tongue at her like a child.

"Ok fine, you wanna play like that do you?" and she swung Fili's sword so that it clashed loudly against Kili's, gaining the attention of all the dwarves in the room.

Feeling a fight coming, the dwarves huddled around the area that Hayden and Kili were, watching for Kili's next move.

The young dwarf smiled at the challenge and jumped down from the couch, facing Hayden, who had her sword raised with one hand.

Out of nowhere Kili struck her sword and the fight began. Hayden managed to dodge and duck out of the way from the first few swings, and then she began to fight back.

The school Hayden had attended as a child had offered a number of sports for their entertainment and unlike the other girls her age she had chosen jousting. She had continued the sport throughout her teenage years, but had quit when she had begun university, but she had always remembered her training, which came in handy for this fight.

There was no doubt Kili was a skilled swordsman. He easily evaded her swipes at him but was a little discouraged that she hadn't given up by now.

The fight continued for a good ten minutes and neither looked even close to giving up. It was only when Gandalf and Thorin entered the room did Hayden get distracted, which gave Kili the chance he had been waiting for. He flicked her sword away effortlessly and cornered her against the wall. The dwarves cheered for Kili at what they thought was the end of a fantastic battle, but Hayden still had one trick left up her sleeve.

"Kili, you dropped something," she said, purposely looking down towards Kili's feet. He looked down confused, allowing Hayden to grab his shoulders and kicked hard him in his sensitive area.

Kili dropped to the ground in pain and Hayden bowed deeply to her audience as the dwarves laughed and cheered for her.

Fili was the first to reach her, hugging her roughly and spinning her around in his arms. He was ecstatic that someone had finally been able beat his younger brother.

When the dwarves had finally backed off from her, Hayden helped Kili off the ground. Despite his obvious pain he smiled and hugged her.

"Where did you learn to fight like that, lass?" he asked her, releasing her from his hug.

"That's my little secret," she winked, and patted him on the shoulder before turning away from him.

Thorin stood leaning on the doorway looking extremely amused. She stopped a few feet in front of him and crossed her arms.

"Enjoy the show?" she laughed, watching his face carefully.

"Very much. Though you should not allow yourself to be distracted like that," he added, smirking as her expression became flustered.

"I won didn't I?" she said defiantly, making him laugh out loud.

"That you did. A very good win, aswell. Someone needed to knock some sense into that lad sooner or later," he nodded towards Kili who was still holding his 'area' in pain. Thorin stood up off the doorway and took a step closer to her.

"You fought well. But I suppose you will not tell us where you learnt such skills?"

"Of course not! A good swordsman never reveals their tricks," she mocked, noticing how close he was. She cleared her throat and looked away from him and Thorin seemed to realise only now that he was in the company of his kin and he backed off.

"Um, I actually need to go to grocery store to get dinner," she said quickly to avoid the silence, "So if I leave can I trust my apartment won't be burnt to the ground when I come back?"

"No promises," he chuckled.

"Alright," she frowned, "I'll be leaving in 10."

"Hey!" Kili cried, running over to them with his brother by his side, "We're coming too."

"Why?" Hayden asked curiously.

"We want to see where our new friend lives," Fili said, "Besides, we need to get out of this place – too cramped."

"I'm sorry my apartment wasn't designed for sixteen people," she said sarcastically, "But I suppose you can come. I'm taking the car though."

"_Car_?"

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 10 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	11. Chapter 10 - First Times

**CHAPTER 10 - FIRST TIMES**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"Alright, you two," Hayden said to Fili and Kili, ruffling around in her bag looking for her keys, "Let's get out of here."

"Can I drive?" Fili grinned.

"Not on your life."

Hayden had spent at least ten minutes explaining to them how a car worked so that they would not freak out when it started moving.

"That can be arranged," Kili said darkly, smirking at his brother.

"Oh god…" Hayden said, wondering what this car journey was going to be like with the young dwarves, "Let's go. Where's Thorin we should tell him we're going-?"

She turned around to find him, but found the dwarf was standing a few feet behind her and she jumped in shock.

"Oh, don't do that," she gasped, and Thorin smirked lightly, "We're going okay? We'll be back soon."

Thorin nodded but didn't take his eyes off her for one moment.

* * *

Thorin noted as soon as Hayden had walked out of her room her change of clothes. She was now wearing a floral dress, with a cardigan and a scarf and he had been surprised to see her in such clothes; the only outfit he had seen her wear were pants and shirts.

When he saw her wearing the dress his breath was taken away momentarily, and it took him a while to recover and get his pulse back to normal.

Thorin watched the way her dress swayed against her legs as she walked away with rapt attention and smiled to himself. To him, she looked absolutely stunning.

* * *

Hayden, Fili and Kili returned from shopping an hour later, laden with shopping bags of food and drinks.

It had been a rather annoying trip for Hayden, but amusing nonetheless. She had to put up with Fili and Kili dancing to the music in the car and insisting she turn it up so loud that it almost made her deaf. And even after she had explained the concept of shopping to them, they still seemed to think Hayden would not have to pay for anything they wanted – which was quite literally _everything_. She had never had to use the word 'no' so many times in her life than in that single shopping trip.

"Can I have this?"

"No."

"What about this?"

"No."

"What if we-"

"No!"

Along with that, she had had to ply them away from the group of girls that had surrounded them while she had disappeared for a few minutes to buy the beer. Though when they did regretfully walk away from the girls, they were in the grasp of a few phone numbers – they had no idea what the numbers were for, but they were sure it meant something very good for them.

"How was it?" Thorin asked, as Hayden put the last of the food away.

"If I ever have children they will never _ever_ come shopping with me."

"Were they that bad?"

"No," she sighed, "But they were still a pain in the ass. Plus they attracted a bunch of girls that I had to fight through to even reach them."

Thorin chuckled and shrugged, "The charm of the Durin line never fails."

_No it doesn't_, she inwardly sighed, but she made her expression look amused, "Very funny. Next time _you_ can do the shopping."

* * *

Dinner that night went on just like it had the night before. The dwarves spread themselves out around the room, eating the meals they had cooked for one another – seeing as Hayden could not cook to save her life. Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin sat at the table eating very little and discussing more of their findings.

Hayden, however, decided she would eat dinner on the floor with Fili and Kili, whom she had now become quite close with and whom she thought very entertaining to be around.

They were in a discussion of who would win a battle out of an orc and a goblin. Fili and Kili were under the impression that a goblin would win hands down, but Hayden was quite confident that an orc would prevail.

"Are you kidding? Goblins are tiny and stupid! No way would they win!" Hayden yelled at the two young dwarves, who shook their heads stubbornly.

"Have you seen how big Goblins can grow?" Kili asked her.

"They could easily crush an orc with one step!" Fili finished for his brother.

"Orcs grow large aswell. What about the Uruk Hai? They're orcs aren't they?"

"Yes, but if you put a large Goblin in a battle with an Uruk Hai the Goblin would win."

"No," she said simply, "Uruk Hai's are _way_ smarter than Goblins. Do Goblins even have brains?"

"Would you three shut up!" cried Dwalin, and the rest of the dwarves grunted and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Kili, shut up!" Hayden smiled at Kili, who looked around in shock at being blamed for the argument, while his brother snorted with laughter.

Glaring at Hayden, Kili threw a small piece of meat from his plate at Hayden, who flicked it away in disgust.

"Urgh! Oh no Fili don't-" she cried as Fili picked up the piece of meat from the floor and ate it anyway, "Oh, you guys are disgusting!"

"Thank you!" they said in unison, and the three laughed together.

* * *

Hayden sat on her bed watching a movie that night, as Gandalf had offered her back her bedroom that afternoon, insisting that he was not going to be sleeping anyway, but pouring over books. Though she was finding it hard to enjoy the movie when everything reminded her of Thorin.

She had had a fantastic night laughing and joking with Fili and Kili, but hated that she felt so awkward being around Thorin and his kin at the same time. But then again they weren't exactly 'exclusive', as she would call it. Actually, she didn't know what they were at the moment…

He belonged in Middle Earth with people of his own kind. She belonged – though she wished she didn't – in the 21st century. She could not deny there was definitely something between them, but if they were to start anything wouldn't it only make it harder for them to say goodbye when the time came?

Hayden wished with all her heart that when the Company left she could go with them. She had always felt drawn to Middle Earth; maybe this was her chance to finally be where she belonged...

A knock came from her door, interrupting her thoughts.

"Come in," she called, hoping that it was who she thought it was.

It was. Thorin Oakenshield quietly stepped into her room and closed the door behind him.

"Hey," she said quietly. She felt her stomach do a backflip and her inner teenager grinned like an idiot.

"Hello. I am not interrupting anything am I?" he asked consciously, seeing that a movie was playing on her television.

"Oh no, I was just watching a movie."

"What is it?" Thorin asked curiously, and she was relieved he was starting the conversation.

"It's called _Harry Potter_," she told him, and looked confused when he nodded like he knew the movie well.

"I saw it on your wall," he pointed towards the numerous posters that all contained the teenage wizard on her wall. He made his way around the bed to stand by its side, watching the television screen.

"What is it about?" Thorin asked curiously, and listened carefully as Hayden gave him a brief summary of the last seven movies and what had happened so far in the eighth.

"You enjoy this movie aswell?" he asked.

"Yes, very much. But not as much as _The Hobbit_," she said, and Thorin smiled slightly.

"You can sit and watch it with me if you like," Hayden said, shuffling over to the other side of the bed.

Thorin nodded and slid onto the bed, taking off his boots as he did so, and leant back on the pillows. Hayden watched as he made himself comfortable, his legs lounging casually over the bed.

_Great, now I'm not even going to be able to watch the movie properly with him so close_. Having Thorin around made her feel like her brain was on hiatus, which didn't happen to her a lot.

Thorin, however, seemed to be enjoying the movie very much – particularly the scene with the dragon. But Hayden was too busy dreading what scene was almost upon them to enjoy the action. The last scenes of the movie always made her cry, and she had no intention of looking so weak in front of Thorin.

"_There will come a time when Harry Potter must be told something…_"

Hayden curled her legs up to her chest and tried with all her might to hold in her emotions, but to no prevail.

_"Harry… be safe, be strong…"_

Tears began rolling down her cheeks silently as she stared at the scenes unfolding on the television. Thorin hadn't noticed until, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wipe away tears from her face. Without saying a word, he shuffled over on the bed closer to her and put his arm around her.

She smiled and sniffed but didn't say anything either, slipping further down the bed and leaning into his chest so that the warmth of his body comforted her.

As the movie went on, tears continued to spill from her eyes, and at a few moments she buried her face in Thorin's shoulder, not wanting to look at the screen.

When the movie ended – which was all too quickly for her liking – Thorin still had his arm around Hayden and her head was leaning on his shoulder.

Hayden sat up and lifted her head, but Thorin kept his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, I always get emotional when I watch that movie," she sniffed and laughed at herself.

"It is okay to be emotional. Do not be ashamed," Thorin told her softly.

"I know, I know. I just…" she paused, wondering whether she could tell him, "I just understand what Harry has been through."

"The Potter lad?" he asked, and frowned when she nodded, "How do you mean?"

Hayden took a deep breath and purposely avoided Thorin's gorgeous stormy eyes. When she eventually talked she did so slowly and quietly, "I never knew my parents. They died when I was very young and I had no other family. I grew up in an orphanage and I left when I turned 18 and started a life for myself. It's been really hard and I haven't had people around to help me like Harry did…"

Thorin looked lost for words and his eyebrows furrowed together.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything-" Hayden began and went to pull away but Thorin held her back.

"I am glad you shared that with me. You have been through a lot more than you give yourself recognition for," he said, and she could tell he meant it.

"I suppose…" and her voice trailed off as they looked at one another. She quickly averted her flustered gaze and wiped her eyes, "I just don't like crying. It makes me feel like a _girl_."

"Are you not?"

Hayden made to retort but saw a smirk playing on his lips… _oh, his lips_…

"You know what I mean!" she laughed, quickly repressing her thoughts.

"I do. It would be a shame if you weren't a girl though."

"Oh, really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it would."

She could feel his arm tighten around her and his fingers began to move up and down her arm softly, sending chills through her body.

She tilted her head so that it was leaning on the wall behind her and tried hard not to look at his lips.

"How long did it take you to grow your hair?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He chuckled, shaking his head, "Around 195 years."

"That's a long time."

"Yes, it is."

"So you're… 173 years older than me?"

"Are you repulsed by that?"

She shook her head and leaned a little closer towards him and he didn't protest. Her heart was beating fast and her head felt a little light. When she could feel his warm breath on her face and their lips were almost brushing together she whispered to him.

"Quite the opposite, actually."

And she closed the gap between their lips and kissed him.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 11 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	12. Chapter 11 - Dances with Dwarves

**CHAPTER 11 - DANCES WITH DWARVES**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

**Bonjour my raved readers! Thanks again for your support, it's really fantastic. To answer a question asked in a review:  
Dwarves in Middle Earth are described to be around 4 or 5 feet tall. Hayden is quite short (around 5 foot) and I would assume the taller of the dwarves (eg. Thorin, Dwalin) would be the same height, maybe even taller than her. **

**And now here is Chapter 11 - sorry for the cliffie, I couldn't resist!**

* * *

When Hayden kissed Thorin she did not hold back. All of the emotions of that night and her true feelings towards him poured out in that one kiss, and it seemed he felt the same way. His lips were surprisingly soft and warm and he kissed her softly.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his hand run through her hair.

After a long moment he pulled away breathing heavily, but he kept his face close to hers so that their foreheads were still touching. Hayden opened her eyes to see he was watching her. He shot her an irresistible crooked smile and she drew her lips closer to his again so that they were brushing together teasingly. When he couldn't resist it any longer he crushed his lips against hers without any restraint.

He pushed her down so that her head was sinking into the pillow and he layed down next to her, keeping his thick arms on either side of her. She moved her hands through his coarse black hair and slowly down his back, where they lingered teasingly. Thorin's breath became faster and he let out a low growl and rolled his body on top of hers.

The minutes they spent wrapped in each other's arms felt like a lifetime, and when they finally pulled apart they were both gasping for air. Hayden could feel his heart beating fast underneath his shirt and she stared up at his stormy eyes.

"We should get some sleep," he whispered.

She nodded, not trusting her voice to work.

Smiling he slid off the bed and straightened out his clothes. Hayden sat up on her bed and watched him. Before he walked out the room he kissed her once more lightly.

"Good night."

"Night," she smiled, looking on breathlessly as he walked outside, closing the door quietly behind him.

As soon as she was sure he was out of the corridor and far away from her room, she let out her inner teenage girl.

She jumped up on her bed and ran her hands through her hair, trying very hard not to scream. So instead, she let out her excitement by jumping around like a lunatic.

When she did – eventually – let out all her joy she flopped down onto her bed again and tried to remember every detail of that night, soaking it all into her system.

_Thorin Oakenshield had kissed her! No, it had to be more than a kiss – much more._

* * *

Hayden had fallen asleep with her head full of spinning thoughts: what did the kiss mean? What future could they possibly have together? And like any other woman she completely overanalyzed everything.

She woke to the noise of dwarves rattling about the kitchen making breakfast. Thinking she could really do with a coffee after the sleepless night she had had, she quickly dressed and left her bedroom.

Like she had predicted, the dwarves were busily moving around the kitchen cooking eggs, bacon and toast for the morning's breakfast. She bid them all good morning and looked around for one dwarf in particular.

"He's in the study talking with Gandalf," said Kili, noticing Hayden looking around.

"What? Who?" she asked, trying to sound oblivious to his comment and he gave her a sly smile and beckoned her to come closer. Slightly suspicious she walked towards him and he leant forward.

"We know what happened last night. You don't have to pretend," Kili whispered.

"_What_? I mean… um, what happened last night?"

"You and Thorin…" and he gave her a cheeky wink.

"Do _all_ of you know?" she asked, horrified.

"No, no, just me and Fili."

"How?"

"Please. We know our uncle well enough to know when something has happened."

"Oh… well I would appreciate it if you guys were the _only _one's to know for the moment."

"Yes, I understand… oh Fili, come here for a moment?" he called over to his brother, who came rushing to his side.

"Ah, does she know we know?" Fili asked, and seeing his brother's nod he smiled down at Hayden.

"What?" Hayden asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"We promise not to tell _anyone_ about you and our uncle _if_-"

But Hayden cut them off, "Oh no! No, no, no! I am not doing anything for you two."

They smiled mockingly apologetically at her, "That's a shame… hey lads-!"

"Ok, what do you want?" she asked desperately before they could shout anything else.

"We want you to perform."

"What?"

"Perform. Sing to us a song that we choose for you."

"Just you two?"

They laughed heartily, "Oh no, dear, to _all_ of us. _But_-"

"Oh, what else?"

"You have to be dressed in Thorin's clothes."

She considered it for a moment, and then making a quick mental decision, she ran.

"Thorin-!"

But just as she made it to the corridor the dwarves pounced, knocking her to the ground. She struggled against them for a long time, kicking and punching.

"No way! I'm not doing it! You manipulative little-"

"What in the name of Durin is going on?"

Thorin's booming voice echoed down the corridor as he ran out of the study, closely followed by Gandalf.

He stared down at the scene before him. Hayden lay on the ground struggling against his nephews, who had pinned her arms to her side trying to contain her.

Thorin didn't know whether to laugh at the antics of his nephews or yell at them.

"What's going on here?" he asked as Fili and Kili jumped up leaving Hayden on the ground below them. She made to get up but Kili pushed her back down with his foot.

"We were just making a little deal with Miss Parker here," Kili said sweetly.

"Don't worry Uncle, nothing is happening," said Fili, following the lead of his brother.

"You complete suck ups!" Hayden yelled, and she grabbed Kili's foot and pulled it up so that he fell onto his behind.

Fili made to keep her down but she flipped her legs around and tripped him over. Before they could get up Hayden stood up and put a foot on each of them, looking down on them in triumph.

"Haha! Suck it!" she yelled in triumph, "What are you gonna do _now_?"

They exchanged a look with one another but she quickly jumped off before they could trip her over aswell. That was all they needed. They shot up and grabbed her arms.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she sighed and finally gave into the young dwarves, "But can we at least discuss this with Thorin first?"

Fili and Kili looked at one another then nodded, spinning Hayden around so that she faced Thorin and Gandalf.

Gandalf looked thoroughly amused by the scene that had unfolded and quickly excused himself, disappearing back into the study.

Thorin was looking at the three with his eyebrows raised, completely lost as to what was going on.

"We have a proposal to make, Uncle," said Fili in a business-like manner.

They quickly explained what they wanted Hayden to do and why, and patiently waited for their Uncle's response.

"As amusing as it would be to see Miss Parker dance around in my clothes," he began and his nephews looked hopeful, "She should not be ashamed to have the Company find out about us."

Hayden smiled at Thorin and she saw a spark light in his eyes as he smiled back. She turned to smirk at Fili and Kili, but to her surprise – or rather dismay – they were smiling as well.

"We thought that might be the case," Kili said, "If you would excuse us, Uncle we have further matters to discuss with Miss Parker," and they dragged Hayden away from Thorin into her room.

"Ok, what the hell is it now? What do you two have on me?"

"This," they said together and Fili held up a black leather bound book.

Hayden's heart sank – it was her journal. Normally she would have thought keeping a diary sort of thing was something a cliché teenage girl would do, but she wanted to remember every detail while the Company was here, so she had written everything in it. She had also written about Thorin – _a lot_ about Thorin that she would not want him to ever read.

"How did you find that?" she asked, her face turning quickly pale.

"Oh, you know, we were just looking around your room and came across it."

"Do you want to cause me mental damage? Because if that's what you want it's going to happen."

"No, that wasn't what we were going for. We just want you to humiliate yourself in front of Thorin to prove your love for him – we can't have our Uncle being with just anyone, you know."

"Well, do I have a choice?"

"No not really," they said together.

She sighed, "Ok, but the song you choose better not be stupid."

"Fair enough. We'll go get Thorin's clothes."

* * *

Thorin entered Hayden's room to find her on her bed with her head between her knees.

"My clothes, as requested, Miss," he said smiling at her. She glared at him and snatched the clothes out of his hands.

"They better not have any blood on them."

"No they do not… maybe a tiny bit."

"Urgh. This is humiliating," she said, holding up Thorin's clothes and inspecting them.

"You do not have to do this, you know."

"Oh, no, really I do."

He looked at her carefully, then deciding it was her decision, he nodded, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left the room.

* * *

The dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf all sat in the living room waiting for Hayden to come out of her room. They had no idea what was going on, but that Fili and Kili had something to do with it – which had to mean trouble.

When Hayden came out of the room wearing Thorin's clothes the dwarves bursted with laughter. Hayden had a sour expression on her face and she walked up to stand in front of the company.

Crossing her arms she glared at Fili and Kili who nodded at her to begin her 'performance.' Before beginning, she shot a rude finger sign at them, much to Thorin and the Companies entertainment.

Her face turning extremely red, she began singing and dancing the stupid jig Fili and Kili had created for her.

_O! What are you doing and where are you going?_

_Your ponies need shoeing! The river is flowing! _

_O! tra-la-la-lally here down in the valley!_

_O! What are you seeking and where are you making?_

_The faggots are reeking, the bannocks are baking! _

_O! tril-lil-lil-lolly the valley is jolly, ha! ha!_

_O! Where are you going with beards all a-wagging?_

_No knowing, no knowing what brings Mister Baggins _

_And Balin and Dwalin down into the valley in June, ha! ha!_

_O! Will you be staying or will you be flying?_

_Your ponies are straying! The daylight is dying!_

_To fly would be folly to stay would be jolly_

_And listen and hark till the end of the dark to our tune, ha! ha!_

When she finished the dwarves cheered and she bowed low, extremely embarrassed but smiling nonetheless.

"You can all thank Fili and Kili, for being the assholes we all know they are and making me do this," she glared at the young dwarves, who rushed forward and knocked her onto the couch.

"See it wasn't that bad was it?" said Fili, smiling at her.

"You ass-" she began, but Kili interrupted her.

"Uh uh, no language like that please, Miss. You are a young lady," said Kili, and she whacked them both over the head.

"Can I have it back now?" she pleaded them.

"I don't think so."

"What!?"

"I think we'll keep it for a little while longer, just in case."

"You sons of bitches!"

And just as she was about to hit them again someone grabbed them by their shirts and threw them off her.

"Can you two keep your hands off her for one minute?" Thorin growled down at his nephews.

Helping Hayden off the couch he beckoned for her to follow him to her room.

"So that was extremely embarrassing," she said to him as soon as he had closed the door behind them.

"I think you rather suit my clothes," he smirked.

"They're actually surprisingly comfortable," she laughed, looking down at the thick armor and boots.

"You looked very lovely up there."

"Did I?" she mocked, stepping closer to him.

"Well, more than usual."

He leant down and kissed her, putting his hands around her waist and pulling her into him. She swooned a little in his grasp. It had been a lot easier kissing him the night before because she had been sitting down. This time there was nothing stopping her knees from buckling from the feel of his lips and strong arms wrapped around her. When she was just beginning to really enjoy the kiss, music began to play from across the room.

She broke away regretfully and looked around, realizing it was her mobile.

"What is it?" Thorin asked frowning.

She held up the small phone and waved a hand at him, "Long story," and she answered it.

"Hello?"

From Thorin's view it looked as if there were a small person inside the metal device that Hayden was talking to – what else could it be?

"Oh no, I can't go out tonight I have um, company… Why do you always assume the worst of me?... Ok, yes there is a guy here… shut up!... no I can't go I'm not kidding… no don't come over don't-"

And she closed the phone, throwing it on her bed swearing.

"What's wrong? Who were you talking to?"

"It was my friend. We were supposed to be going out tonight to some club opening. I told her I couldn't go, but now she's coming over…"

_Great_, she thought, _now somehow I'm going to have to hide thirteen dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard in my apartment._

* * *

**Please continue reviewing and giving me feedback, I would love to know all your opinions.**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 12 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	13. Chapter 12 - The Interrogation

**CHAPTER 12 - THE INTERROGATION**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Thorin Oakenshield had never been one to take part in the cheerful antics of his kin, even as a young dwarf long before Smaug took Erebor. He always acted as a respectable dwarf prince was expected to, though it was rather rare to see him enjoying himself.

So when their Company made an unexpected appearance in the home of Miss Hayden Parker the dwarves were all very much aware of the sudden change in their King.

Where once he was sullen and moody, he was now prone to smile, and even laugh on many occasions. And they all had a very strong suspicion it were because of the young lady with which they now shared a home.

Now women in Middle Earth were not thought of very much, nor were they highly respected. A woman's purpose in life was to care for her husband and give him children; and after a few days with her they were very sure Hayden Parker would stand for no such thing.

There was no doubt the girl was different: young, educated, and quite beautiful. If they didn't know any better, they would have thought she was one of them. Despite how flawless and tactful she looked, she was quite the opposite when one got to know her – and _that_ was what confused the dwarves.

If their King was ever to take a Queen, they would have expected him of all dwarves to look for a woman with a height of sophistication, who was willing to do his biding and give him children; as what was expected of a Queen.

So when it was clear just how taken Thorin was by Miss Parker it was a rather odd sight for his kin; they had never seen their King as happy as he was around the young lady.

But nevertheless, they did not complain. For the first time since the attack of Smaug, the dwarves of Erebor felt safe, like they had a place to call home – despite how odd this new world was.

And that is exactly what two of the youngest dwarves were discussing, as Hayden stressed over where she was to hide the Company while her friends visited.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Fili asked, nodding towards the bedroom that Thorin and Hayden were in. His brother was sitting beside him with his legs lounging on the dining table.

"Something disgusting, no doubt," Kili shrugged, taking a bite of an apple, "Why the curiosity?"

"I want to know how serious he is," Fili said suddenly uncharacteristically mature.

"It is not your business what uncle does in his love life – or rather _physical_ love life," Kili winked slyly.

Fili frowned and clipped his brother sharply over the head with his hand; "There's more to life than physical love, Kili."

"Oh, so now you're a sudden romantic? I should tell that to all the lasses you've been with…"

"Well do you really want to imagine uncle in a _physical_ relationship?" Fili snapped.

Kili shivered at the thought; "No… actually I never imagine uncle in any relationship for that matter."

Kili gave his brother a curious stare when he saw Fili looking even more interestedly over at Hayden's bedroom.

"So why the sudden interest, dear brother?" Kili asked, leaning over to discuss more quietly.

"I like Hayden, I really do. She's a bright young lass and…" Fili paused and sighed, "And we both know how uncle can be, I just wouldn't want to see her get hurt."

"And how exactly can uncle be?" Kili asked blankly, earning him another smack from his brother.

"Have you ignored uncle your entire life?" Fili asked incredulously, "He isn't exactly the most sensitive or caring dwarf you've ever met, is he?"

"Right, I see what you mean," Kili nodded and frowned, "So what do we do?"

"We talk to him."

"_What_?" Kili gasped, "_Us_? Talk to _uncle_?"

"It's not like we've never talked to him before, Kil."

"Yes but never a _serious_ talk," Kili explained, "Really when was the last time we sat down and talked to him about his _love life_?"

"You're right…" Fili nodded, "We'll just have to handle it extra carefully."

"_We_?" Kili laughed nervously, "Oh no, you're doing this on your own!"

"I can't, you have to help me," Fili pleaded, but Kili shook his head adamantly.

"No way in Mordor am I going to discuss _that_ topic."

"Discuss what topic?"

The two brothers jumped as their uncle's familiar stern voice appeared behind them.

"Nothing, nothing," Kili shrugged nervously and made to move from his seat but Fili held him down.

Thorin took a seat on the dining table opposite his nephews, giving them a look of clear suspicion as he watched them bicker between one another.

"Fili I don't want to-"

"I don't care if you don't want to, we're doing this."

"_Why_? Can't we just observe from afar? Preferably the distance between the Shire and Erebor?"

"Stop being such a _baby_!"

"If you ladies have quite finished would you care to enlighten me as to what in the name of Durin this is about?" Thorin asked huffily, quickly stopping his nephews bickering. They both noted however how 'normal' he was when Hayden was not around.

"Kili and I-"

"That is, just Fili-"

"_Both of us_, want to know what your business is with Hayden," Fili blurted out before Kili could interrupt him again.

Thorin stared wide-eyed at them, taken aback as to what Fili had just said.

"My 'business'?" Thorin asked slowly.

"Not your 'business', per say," Fili laughed nervously, "Merely what you plan on doing with her."

"What I plan on doing with her?" Thorin asked incredulously, and they could see his temper was rising, "I had no idea my relationships were any business of my nephews?"

"So it _is_ a relationship?" Kili asked, now suddenly very interested in the conversation, "Exactly what kind of relationship?"

"Enough!" Thorin growled, "What I do with Hayden, if anything, is none of your concern."

"Uncle we did not mean to offend you," Fili added hurriedly, "We care very much about Miss Parker and you can be… well we don't want to see her hurt."

"You think I would hurt her?" Thorin snapped angrily, "After all I have sacrificed for you both and our people you think I would go out of my way to hurt a lass like her?"

"No!" Fili and Kili both said in unison, shaking their heads and waving their hands at him.

"You misunderstand, uncle," Fili said, "We are just concerned… well you are from Erebor, she belongs here… we were just curious as to what future you would have…?"

Fili left the question hanging in the air and Thorin stared them down, thinking carefully.

"I appreciate your concern for Hayden, Durin knows she needs people who care about her," Thorin began, his anger beginning to ebb, "I admit I do not know what future we have together, if any…"

Fili dared a glance at his brother, who was looking just as shocked as he felt. They were not expecting this reaction from their uncle. The Thorin they knew would have continued to storm away and reprimanded them for their curiosity.

"Do you _want_ a future with her?" Kili asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Of course!" Thorin almost yelled, and cleared his throat awkwardly and lowered his voice, "I do very much, but…"

Fili began to realise why his uncle was so hesitant, and from Kili's expression so did he.

"You're afraid?" Fili more stated than asked.

"_Afraid_?" Thorin waved away, "I have felt true fear, this is not-"

"Ah, but this is another kind of fear, uncle," Fili said knowingly.

"What would you know of it," Thorin snapped.

"I may not have felt it, but I have seen it in many folk," Fili said, continuing to speak with an air of arrogant wisdom, "You are afraid she will reject you."

The idea that Thorin was afraid of such a thing made Kili snort out loud, which he quickly tried to pass as a cough when he saw Thorin's look of resignation.

"You are aren't you?" Fili continued, lowering his voice even further, "You're afraid that if you ask her to return with us she will not want to?"

"I have only known the lass for a few days… I had not even thought of bringing her with us…" Thorin said, which was not enough to convince his nephews.

"Ah but love can happen in the smallest amount of time," Kili said, and his brother and uncle stared at him, "_What_? We all know he has thought about it more than a few times!"

Thorin growled but Fili nodded in agreement, "Don't deny it, uncle."

"The road to Erebor is too dangerous," Thorin protested, "When we do return to Middle Earth we do not even know where we will end up, and I would not risk her safety."

"You say that now," Fili shrugged, "You love her uncle, even if you, or Hayden for that matter, cannot see it."

Thorin grunted incoherently and avoided commenting on the topic.

"We do not know Hayden well enough to observe her behaviour-" Fili began.

"-Though it is definitely positive," Kili added.

"But we know our uncle and our King, and the way you act around the lass is not your usual self."

"And what is my usual self?" Thorin raised an eyebrow.

Fili and Kili shared a nervous glance and began stuttering through words, "Well you're uh, a very brave dwarf, with uh- lots of courage and um, hair, and…"

Thorin rolled his eyes and tapped his hands on the table impatiently.

Fili and Kili cleared their throats and smiled nervously.

"The point is," Fili continued, "We have all noticed the way you act around one another and we do not think she will hesitate in leaving this place for you."

"How does she act around me?" Thorin asked, suddenly curious and sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Oh my dear, uncle," Kili laughed; even he, as oblivious as he was at times, had noticed Hayden's actions around Thorin.

"Shall we demonstrate?" Fili suggested.

"I think we shall," Kili agreed, jumping up from his seat.

"Watch closely now, uncle," Fili added to Thorin before he could protest, and he joined his brother and the two dwarves walked over to Hayden's room, where Hayden was sitting on the end of her bed deep in thought.

"Knock, knock!" Kili announced their presence.

Hayden looked up and sighed; "What is it now?"

"Why must you always assume the worst of us, Hayden?"

She stared blankly at them and the dwarves shrugged.

"Fair enough," Kili nodded, "We wondered if you could show us again how to use the micro… uh, micro-"

"Microwave?" Hayden offered.

"Yes, that."

"Sure, as long as you don't use it to blow anything up," she said, getting up from her seat and walking out of the room, with the dwarves closely following her.

"No promises," Kili mused to his brother.

"I heard that!"

As they walked past where Thorin sat looking rather bemused, Fili nodded his head towards Hayden, indicating for him to watch closely. Thorin pursed his lips disapprovingly but watched nonetheless.

"What did you want to eat?"

"Ooh!" Kili jumped excitedly, "How about those corn pops?"

"Popcorn?" she asked, and grabbed a packet of the popcorn from her pantry and put it in the microwave, giving them instructions as she did so.

"So strange…" Kili muttered, watching the bag rise to the heat of the microwave.

When it had finished Kili went to grab the packet.

"Careful, it'll be-" she began, but Kili already burnt his hand on the bag, "-hot!"

Kili swore loudly and clutched his hand in pain.

"Honestly, Kili," Hayden sighed, taking a few ice blocks from the freezer and placing them on his hand, "It's a wonder you haven't seriously damaged yourself."

"Oh he already has," Fili said smartly through a mouthful of popcorn, "He was dropped at birth."

"By you!" Kili yelled.

"An honest mistake," Fili grinned innocently.

"Alright children, that's enough," Hayden interrupted, "How is the popcorn?"

"Very delicious," Fili smiled, "You are good at this Hayden. Have you ever thought of having children?"

Hayden frowned, "No… well I suppose maybe one day I will."

"Mmm, and I assume you want to be married when that time comes?" Kili asked, catching on to his brother's plan.

"Well yes," she nodded, still frowning.

"Does anyone in particular come to mind?" Fili asked, and noticed Hayden's eyes quickly flickered to where Thorin was sitting. When she saw Fili was staring at her she averted her gaze and acted oblivious.

"Where exactly are you going with this?" she asked, eyeing the dwarves suspiciously.

"Not to worry, Hayden," Fili shrugged and took a seat at the table Thorin was sitting at and gestured Kili and Hayden to follow him.

Hayden sat across from Fili and to the right of Thorin, who she smiled at and then continued to stare suspiciously at Fili.

"Is everything alright?" Thorin asked her, and his nephews smirked at the softness in his voice that they had never heard anyone other than Hayden receive.

"Yes…" she said slowly, her eyes narrowing at Fili's grin.

"So, continuing on with our conversation, what were we talking about again?" Kili asked.

"I _think_ we were discussing Hayden's future aspirations," Fili said.

"No, no I don't think we were," Hayden glared warningly at them.

"Oh, I remember now," Fili smiled slyly, "We asked Hayden if she wanted children, and she said yes, after she was married, and then-"

"And that was it I think," Hayden said quickly, her cheeks going pink.

"Tell me, Hayden," Kili said, dragging the bowl of popcorn towards him, "Would you prefer us to call you Aunt Hayden or Queen Hayden?"

Hayden choked a little on her own breath and stared at incredulously at them, deliberately avoiding looking anywhere near Thorin, who was watching her reaction carefully.

"Oh God, is that the time?" she looked around distractedly, "I planned to jump off a cliff about now."

"That's a shame," Fili sighed dramatically, "Who would give Thorin children if you were gone?"

"I don't know, why don't you have a crack at it, Fili?" she snapped.

Kili laughed loudly and his brother pushed him off his chair as payback.

While Kili struggled back onto the chair, Fili watched Hayden's face begin to flush an even brighter red.

"You know I don't really want to hang out with you guys anymore," Hayden said, standing up from her chair indignantly.

"Oh don't go Hayden," Fili begged mockingly.

"Where are you going?" Kili asked.

"To suffocate myself with a pillow."

As she turned away, still not making eye contact with Thorin, Fili and Kili exchanged triumphant glances; that was the exact reaction they had been hoping for.

"Was the point of that was to absolutely humiliate her?" Thorin asked.

"Exactly that," Kili beamed.

"And what _exactly_ did that achieve?"

"Well we know one thing," Fili grinned, "She absolutely adores you."

Thorin stared bewildered at his nephews. He had no idea how they had come to that conclusion from just her reaction, but if they were right, he was quite pleased with that outcome.

* * *

**Please continue the lovely reviews, feedback is much appreciated!**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 13 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	14. Chapter 13 - The Hobbit

**CHAPTER 13 - THE HOBBIT**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"_Shall we call you Queen Hayden or Aunt Hayden_," Hayden mimicked angrily to herself, ignoring the frowns and stares of the dwarves around her.

She was sitting on one of the living room couches reading and listening to music, in attempt to try calm herself.

When she felt a tap on her shoulder she jumped, so involved in her thoughts that she had not noticed Bilbo sit down next to her.

"Hayden?"

"Oh, sorry Bilbo," she said, taking out her earphones, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," Bilbo said tentatively, "I noticed what happened earlier."

"That was the exact memory I've been trying to repress," she said, and waved a hand at him when he frowned, "I'm fine, honestly."

"Right," he smiled slightly, "What is that, if I may ask?" Bilbo nodded towards the iPod in her hands.

"It's called an iPod."

"I…Pod? A strange name," he laughed, "What does it do?"

"A lot of things, but mainly you download music onto it to listen to."

"Download?"

"Oh, right," she frowned in thought, thinking of a way to explain in medieval terms, "Basically people record music which you can listen to through here, like watching a movie on television, only it's just the sound."

Bilbo frowned and tried to look like he understood what she had just said, which made her laugh.

"Here, I'll show you," she said, handing the earphones to him, "Put them in your ears."

"Put them in my _ears_?" Bilbo eyed the earphones wearily.

"It doesn't hurt," Hayden laughed, and helped put them into his ears, "I think I know a song you'll like."

Hayden flipped through her music on the iPod until she came to the soundtrack of _the Lord of the Rings_ and played the 'Concerning Hobbits' theme, and watched Bilbo's reaction.

At first the hobbit jumped at the sound, then as he listened closely he smiled and he began to enjoy the music.

"That is a very nice tune," he observed once he had taken out the earphones.

"I know, I love it," she smiled, "It's called 'Concerning Hobbits.'"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I love to listen to it whenever I read about the Shire, it makes you feel like you're really there," she sighed.

"I think you would fit in very well at the Shire," Bilbo said, "You have the height for a hobbit."

Hayden laughed, "I suppose that's a compliment?"

"Of course! Though you should be glad you do not have our feet or ears."

"Are you kidding? That's what makes a hobbit, Bilbo!" she grinned, "That and the curly hair."

"Yes, I suppose we'll never be the most exotic of creatures."

"Maybe not, but really you could have ended up much worse," she shrugged, "I have always loved your names though."

"Hobbit names?" Bilbo frowned uncertainly.

"What, don't you like your name?"

"I do, Baggins is a very respectable name – in the Shire anyway," Bilbo said, "But it does not exactly strike folk as a very brave name nor one to fear."

"Bilbo Baggins…" Hayden repeated, "It is a nice name though. I always loved Théoden."

"Is that from one of your books?"

"In a way," she smirked, "Théoden was the King of Rohan."

"Rohan?" Bilbo raised an eyebrow, "Yes, it is a rather strong name."

"Exactly! I mean really that's a proper name for a king," she said, and sat up straight and lowered her voice, "King Théoden of Rohan, home of the Horse-Lords!"

"I see what you mean," Bilbo laughed, "Do you like your name?"

"It's alright, it is rather unique in it's own way."

"How do you mean?"

She lowered her voice so the dwarves would not hear her, "It's actually kind of a man's name."

"_Man_? Why on earth would your parents give you a male name?" Bilbo gasped.

"Well it's not exclusively male, it's unisex. But generally it is used for men," she explained, "And Parker is quite a common surname here."

"And you don't want to have a common name?" Bilbo asked, intrigued.

"Who does? I wish I had some fantastic name, ooh like in Game of Thrones," she sat up excitedly, "They have family houses, which are names like Stark and Lannister and Baratheon and Targaryen."

"They are very strange names," Bilbo frowned.

"One of the Targaryens is called Daenerys Stormborn," she continued, "I mean honestly, _Daenarys_! And I get stuck with _Hayden Parker_."

"Mmm they sound much too complicated, we hobbits prefer simple names," Bilbo said sincerely, "I rather like your name, it suits you."

"I guess," she shrugged and sat up off the couch, "Do you want a drink?"

"Oh there's no need, I can get it myself," Bilbo jumped up after her.

"Don't sound so desperate, I know I can't cook but I can pour a drink," she said, and laughed when she saw Bilbo didn't get her sarcasm, "Just a joke, Bilbo."

"Right," he chuckled uncertainly, and followed her into the kitchen, where she proceeded to ignore Fili and Kili who were still sitting at the table with Thorin.

"They are taking care of you, aren't they?" she asked Bilbo while searching the fridge.

"Of course," Bilbo smiled, "Why do you ask?"

"Because they're absolute animals when it comes to food, and I want to make sure you aren't starving."

"Right," Bilbo nodded, and smiled fondly at her, "That is very kind of you, Miss Parker."

"Anything for my favourite hobbit," she grinned.

"Oh now isn't that the sweetest thing, the hobbit and the young lass become the best of friends!"

Hayden's smile quickly disappeared and she glared at Fili and Kili from behind the kitchen counter.

"I'm not talking to you two," she said stiffly.

"Oh don't be mad, Hayden," Fili said sweetly, "It was just a bit of fun."

"Please accept our most humblest apologies," Kili bowed his head mockingly.

"I'll tell you where you can stick your apologies," she stared them down threateningly, and busied herself getting a glass of milk for Bilbo.

"Oh, I'll have a tea while you're there Hayden!" Fili called to her.

"Make that two," Kili agreed, "We're trying out a hobbit diet."

"Get it yourself, I'm not your slave," she retorted quickly.

"You're getting Bilbo a drink!" Kili cried, "Don't tell me you favour the hobbit over us?"

"Pretty much."

"But look at us," Fili said, smiling sweetly, "We're adorable!"

"Oh, is that how you want to be thought of by women? As _adorable_?" she laughed out loud and handed Bilbo his drink.

"Actually we're thought of as many things by woman, and none of them _adorable_," Fili winked, lounging back arrogantly in his chair.

"Mainly how small and useless they are in bed," Bofur said from across the room and the dwarves all laughed, Hayden joining in.

Fili and Kili leapt up from their chairs and dived at Bofur, causing quite a raucous in the lounge room as the dwarves all wrestled between each other.

Hayden quickly took the chance to sit by Thorin while he was alone, and only hoped he would not mention the conversation with Fili and Kili.

"You should get an award for putting up with them all the time," she said, looking over at where Fili and Kili were wrestling on the floor with Bofur quite violently.

"It takes great skill and restraint," Thorin said and frowned disapprovingly at the scene, "I am sorry for what they said earlier, it was inappropriate of them."

_Urgh, there it is_, she sighed.

"Don't worry about it," she smiled, "I suppose they're like that all the time?"

"No, actually," and he smirked amusedly, "I have never seen them so intent on annoying a lass as much as they do you. Though in all fairness they are usually wanting something different from women."

"So I should be glad that they annoy me so much, then?" she said, starting to feel glad for the first time that they infuriated her rather than anything else.

"Indeed, but if they were taking their usual approach to a lass I would be forced to absolutely pummel them," he smirked.

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. Thorin Oakenshield does not batter his own nephews for just anyone."

Hayden smiled, trying not to look too flushed at the compliment.

"I see you've become close with the hobbit?" Thorin asked.

"Not extremely, but I would love to get to know him more," she said, "He was my favourite character in the book."

"Really?" Thorin raised an eyebrow at her.

"He's so sweet and innocent, it's hard not to love him," she smiled fondly over at Bilbo, who was avoiding going anywhere near the rubble of dwarves still fighting.

"I see," he said a little more stiffly than before, and Hayden saw he was looking at Bilbo with more distaste than usual.

"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that," she added hurriedly, "Bilbo's nice but he's not- he's not uh…"

_A hunky dwarf prince who makes you want to melt whenever you look at him?_

But Thorin only chuckled, "Do not worry, I did not take it in that way."

He reached over and put his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. Hayden smiled down towards the table, her stomach flipping at his touch.

"Hayden!"

"Oh, what now?" she sighed. Why was it every one seemed to have a problem when her and Thorin were having a perfect moment?

"There are people knocking at the door."

"_What_?!"

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 14 of****_ An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	15. Chapter 14 - An Unexpected Party

**CHAPTER 14 - AN UNEXPECTED PARTY**

**Once again, thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! You have no idea how encouraging they are to read :)  
Please don't be afraid to give your opinion or even request stuff (e.g. a particular event/more of a character) I would love to get more ideas and see what people want more of in the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"Oh my god!" Hayden cried, leaping up from her seat. She had completely forgotten about the phone call she had had with her friend Emily earlier that day, "I'm an idiot!"

"What is it?" Thorin frowned.

"Remember how I talked to one of my friends and she said she was coming over…?" she told him, waiting for him to react.

"Oh…"

"Well? Don't just stand there, hide!" she told the Company, who all quickly shuffled off to pile into her bedroom.

"Ok, you won't have to be in here for long I promise!" she said, and once she was sure they were all inside she ran to the front door.

Hayden straightened her hair and answered the door as nonchalantly as she could.

"Hi!" she smiled, and her heart fell when she saw it was not just Emily who had come. Two of her other friends from university, James and Daniel, had also joined Emily.

As they walked inside the apartment they all kissed her on the cheek and gave their hellos.

"How have you been, Parker?" asked Daniel.

"Alright, I s'pose. It's been a bit of a hectic couple of days," she said, thinking of the thirteen dwarves piled in her room.

Seeing their confused expressions she waved her hand and quickly changed the subject, "It's nothing, how have you all been?" and she listened to all her friends talk about what they had been doing with their lives since graduation.

"So we're not interrupting anything are we, Hayden?" Daniel asked her curiously, "Em said you sounded a bit out of sorts on the phone."

"Oh, uh it's just work stuff, nothing to worry about," she said quickly.

"Well then you should be glad we're here," Daniel grinned slyly in a manner that reminded her of Fili and Kili.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because we're having a party!" Emily smiled brightly, "To celebrate graduation."

"We graduated like a month ago," Hayden laughed.

"It's a very belated celebration," James smiled.

"Oh, I don't know if I can go out tonight, I've got a lot of stuff to do," Hayden said, trying to sound convincing.

"We thought you might say that," Emily said.

"So we're bringing the part-ay to you!" James laughed.

Hayden's jaw dropped – this could not be happening.

"Wh- what? How?"

"It's called mass-text Parker, research it," Daniel shrugged.

"Anyone who's anyone is going to be here tonight, I made sure of that," James grinned.

"So that means a whole lot of men in tight jeans and V-neck tops, then?" Emily joked to James, who scowled mockingly at her.

"This is so sweet, you guys, but really now isn't the best time-"

"It's never the best time for you, Parker," Daniel said, "We're partying tonight whether you like it or not."

"We'll be back here in an hour with food and people," Emily informed her, and without another word the three left, shouting out goodbyes on their way out.

Hayden stood stunned for a while; unsure whether to believe that had really happened. As much as she loved her friends, their timing could not have been worse.

"Hayden? Are they gone?"

The dwarves came tentatively out of Hayden's room, looking around for any sign of her friends.

Fili and Kili stepped in front of Hayden and looked worriedly at her.

"Hello? Middle Earth to Hayden?" Kili said, waving his hands in front of her face.

"I am fucking screwed," she muttered.

"What is it?" Fili asked her, frowning.

"I am so fucking screwed," she said again, "I am _beyond_ screwed!"

"What's going on?" Thorin asked, pushing through the dwarves to stand in front of Hayden, "Hayden, what's wrong?"

Hayden frowned and put a hand on her forehead, "My friends have invited people over for a- a celebration."

"How many people?" Thorin asked wearily.

"Too many."

"Well that's not too bad," Kili smiled, "We could all use a good party!"

"Oh dear god," she groaned, "I need a drink."

"A party _and_ drinking?" Fili grinned, "I like this Hayden."

But Hayden wasn't listening; she was too busy thinking and panicking. She poured herself a shot of tequila and downed it in one gulp.

"Watch it there, lass," Dwalin said warningly, "That's strong stuff."

"That's kind of the point," she said, swallowing another shot.

"How many people are we talking about exactly?" Bilbo asked nervously.

"Well," Hayden frowned, "These sort of house parties usually consist of around 100 or 150 people – and those are the controlled ones."

"One- one hundred people? Here?" Bilbo gasped; the apartment was barely big enough to fit their company of 15, let alone 100 more.

"Like I said, I-am-screwed," she said, and took yet another shot.

"Someone up there has it in for me," she observed, "I betcha it's that old cow who ran my orphanage – she never liked me."

"Orphanage?" Kili frowned, sharing a look with his brother.

"That's enough of that, I think," Balin stepped forward, taking away the tequila bottle.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" she groaned, and fell forward into Thorin, her head smacking against his chest. He smiled and put comforting arms around her.

"Simple enough," Fili said in a business-like manner, "I suppose there will be a lot of drinking at this shin-dig?"

"Usually," Hayden grumbled.

"So, we hide out in the rooms until the party is in full-swing and then we can make our entrance," Fili explained, "No one will notice – there will be too many people here anyway."

Hayden lifted her head from Thorin to look at Fili, "You think that'll work?"

"Definitely," Fili nodded confidently, "Trust me, we've done it loads of-"

Kili elbowed Fili hard in the ribs, "I mean this is the first time we've tried something like this, I hope it works."

Thorin growled and gave his nephews a stern look.

"Alright then," Hayden sighed, "As soon as you hear a knock on the door you hide in my room until I tell you to come out, okay?"

The dwarves all nodded and went back to their business.

"Fili, go inform Gandalf what is happening," Thorin instructed. Through all of this Gandalf had somehow managed to stay undisturbed in the study, pouring over books.

"I suppose I should get ready then," Hayden sighed, moving towards her room and bumping into Bofur along the way, who steadied her.

"Have you ever drunken before, lass?" Bofur smirked.

"Of course, who do you think I am, the _Queen_?" she laughed.

"You could be," Kili smirked, and quickly ducked away from her when he saw her glare.

"But have you ever drunken _that_ drink before?" Bofur asked.

"You know what, I don't think so," Hayden said after thinking for a moment, and put a heavy hand on his shoulder, "Bofur you just bore witness to a historic moment in my life."

"Uh huh," Bofur chuckled, "Thorin, she may need some help."

"Hey! I am perfectly capable of handling my alcohol just fine," she said, and Thorin took her hand and led her into her bedroom.

"I hope this plan works," she said, sitting down on the edge of her bed, "I really don't need people thinking I hoard dwarves in my apartment for a hobby."

Thorin chuckled and sat besides her, holding a wet cloth in his hand. Gently, he dabbed it over her flushed cheeks and forehead.

"I _can _handle my alcohol, you know. I'm not one of those women who loses it after a few drinks," she told him, which was true. Though she was not overly affected by alcohol, she had a tendency to become more talkative and confident than her usual self.

"I believe that," Thorin smiled.

"Do many women drink in Middle Earth?" Hayden asked.

"It is frowned upon in most cultures," he explained, "But not by dwarves. It is one of the reasons it is so hard to distinguish between male and female dwarves. Generally the females are the better drinkers."

Hayden laughed, "Well, please don't judge me by what you see tonight. These parties can get a little out of hand."

"Nothing I have not seen before, I'm sure."

"You'd be surprised…"

He lowered the cloth from her face and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome," he said, his hand coming to rest underneath her chin. He raised her head a little and moved forward to kiss her, their lips meeting gently.

It took Hayden's breath away, and she now hated even more the fact that she had to deal with this party when she could sit here and be with Thorin; just the two of them in peace, for once.

He pulled away, after too short a time for her liking, and smiled at her.

"I'll leave you to get ready," he whispered.

"Okay," she nodded, kissing him once more before he left the room, leaving her breathless and completely frustrated.

* * *

"I can't believe I have nothing to wear _at all_!" Hayden muttered to herself as she threw yet another outfit onto the floor. It was hard enough for her to choose an outfit under normal circumstances, but with three tequila shots under her belt she was finding it impossible to find clothes that were up to her tipsy standard.

After Hayden had emptied out her entire wardrobe in pure frustration, she settled on a white dress with thick straps and short red heels.

She looked at herself in the mirror and tilted her head, her lips pursed.

"It'll have to do," she muttered.

No sooner had she finished getting ready did she hear a knock on the front door.

Hayden sighed and threw her bedroom door open, which caught the attention of the dwarves, who were waiting outside ready to hide.

"And so it begins," she said dramatically, leaning on the wall to put on her shoes.

The dwarves eyed her outfit; that was definitely not the way young ladies dressed in Middle Earth. But Hayden's outfit was quite respectable compared to the clothes that other people her age wore.

"I'll come get you when it's time," she told them as they filed passed her.

"You look very beautiful," Thorin whispered to her as he passed, looking her up and down longingly, "Don't take too long."

"I won't," she smirked.

* * *

The party was, as she had expected, absolutely hectic.

There were people there she had never seen before in her life, and only a few she actually did recognise from university.

They had provided their own food and drinks, of course, and someone had brought along a sound system for the music, which was blearing through every corner of the apartment.

An hour into the party, Hayden was still stressing. She had long abandoned her heels and was trying her best not to drink anything, but it was hard when she knew only a single door separated the Company from the 21st century rabble.

"Hayden!"

A group of voices called her name from near the speakers and she made her way over to find Emily, James and Daniel waiting for her.

"You see! Told you it would be fantastic!" Daniel said enthusiastically.

"It's definitely something," Hayden smiled, "I hope you three are volunteering to clean all this up tomorrow!"

They laughed mockingly, "No! That's your job!"

"Very funny," she grinned, beginning to relax a little.

The song on the system changed and James' face lit up excitedly.

"Oh, I love this song!" he cried over the music and looked expectantly at Hayden, "Dance with me?"

"Oh, James I don't-"

"Go on, Parker! Live a little!" Daniel said, pushing her out into the crowd.

James grabbed her hand and dragged her into a gap in the mass of dancing people.

"Come on! You know you want to!" James teased, holding out his hand to her.

She rolled her eyes but smiled at him, taking his hand and letting him spin her around on the dance floor.

Hayden couldn't help but laugh and forget about her worries as she danced with her friend, and when the song ended she laughed even harder and hugged him.

"Who's that?" James asked her as the music died down a little, pointing towards the corridor.

Her heart leapt and she spun around, seeing Thorin standing in the hallway looking at her. The other dwarves had already left her bedroom and were mingling with the party, and she was relieved that no one seemed to notice them.

In any other situation it might have been hilarious, seeing Middle Earth Dwarves roaming around a 21st century London party, but Hayden was way too stressed to make light of it.

"Oh, god," she said, "Come with me."

Hayden and James made their way through the crowd towards Thorin, who was glaring murderously at James.

"Who is this?" he snarled, nodding towards James.

"This is my friend James, from university," she told him, "James, this is Thorin. He's from… America."

"America, huh," James nodded, looking Thorin up and down and smiling pleasantly, "Very nice to meet you."

James held out his hand to Thorin, who continued to glare at him.

"Thorin, it's not what it looks like-" she began.

"Then do explain."

"Oh!" James gasped, "Are you two-?"

James gestured from Hayden to Thorin and Hayden shrugged, causing James to leap with excitement.

"Well, well," he grinned, "Why didn't you say so, Hayden?"

James made to walk away to give them privacy but before he went he gave Thorin one last approving glance, "Very well done, my girl. I taught you well."

Hayden smacked her hand on her face in embarrassment as James left.

"It's honestly not what it looks like-"

"Really? Because what it did look like was you and that lad dancing a little too close for my liking."

"I know it seems bad but-"

"If that is something you do with your friends I-"

"Thorin, he's gay!" she blurted out.

"What?"

"He's gay. James, he- he likes… uh, well he likes men."

Thorin frowned, "Oh…"

"Is that why he said-?"

"Yes," she nodded, trying to hold in laughter.

"I am sorry," he stuttered, "If I had known-"

"Forget about it," she smiled, "I am flattered that you were so jealous though."

She laughed and walked away from him through the crowd of people.

"I was _not_ jealous!"

* * *

**Chapter 15 will be coming up quite soon, so watch out for it! There are some big events to come...**


	16. Chapter 15 - Partying with Dwarves

**CHAPTER 15 - THE PERKS OF PARTYING WITH DWARVES**

******So I was not originally planning to put details of the party in a chapter but I couldn't resist giving you all a taste of what the party would have been like - the rest you can create using your own imaginations!**

******Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"All right lass, here's how it works-" Dwalin began to explain to Hayden.

"I know how to arm-wrestle, Dwalin," Hayden said determinedly, "Step one: make him cry."

"You're all talk and no action, Parker," Kili smirked, "Lets get on with it!"

"Alright, alright! You can't rush a champion," she mocked, putting her arm up on the table and taking hold of Kili's hand.

"His weakness is his middle finger – he's broken it many times," Thorin leant down and whispered in her ear, "And be careful."

"Don't worry, I got this," she smirked back at him.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Kili cried, "What's he telling you?"

"Nothing – do you want to do this or not? Because I totally understand if you're afraid-"

"I am _not_ afraid! Dwalin – count down," Kili growled.

"On three – and no early starts," Dwalin said, "Ready?"

Hayden and Kili both nodded, tightening their grips on each other's hands.

"One – two – three!"

Durin knows what that tequila did to Hayden, but for some reason she was not losing – perhaps she was stronger than she thought.

They struggled against one another for a long time, with teeth barred and determined faces. After a minute of struggling Hayden decided to take action, and she pressed down harder on Kili's middle finger.

"Ahh!" Kili groaned.

He let his guard down for a second, which allowed Hayden to push his arm further to the table. By the time he had begun to push back it was too late and she slammed his fist down.

"Haha!" she jumped up in triumph, "Did I win?"

Dwalin nodded in disbelief.

"That's not fair! He told her about my broken finger!" Kili exclaimed angrily, pointing at Thorin.

"I told her no such thing," Thorin said, hiding a smirk.

"So that's the second time I've beaten you at something, Kili," Hayden mocked, "Honestly I'm a little disappointed in your effort."

"Well if you're so great why don't you verse Thorin?" Kili suggested.

"_What_? No way, he'd crush me," she laughed, "Where as you are a lot less manlier and easier to beat."

Beside her, Thorin and Dwalin laughed.

Kili scowled at her, "I'll get you back for this, I swear-"

"There will be none of that," Thorin stepped in, glaring warningly at Kili.

"Oi you lot! Come join the festivities!" Fili called to them from the crowded dance floor.

Kili grinned and made to run off towards Fili, dragging Hayden with him.

"Oh Kili, I really would rather spend some time with Thorin-"

"He can come if he wants," Kili smirked, "Durin knows he needs to let out some steam anyway."

Kili ran off into the crowd, but before she was dragged along she caught hold of Thorin's hand, bringing him with her.

"If I'm going down you're coming with me," she yelled back at him.

Kili led them into an empty space in the room where Fili was waiting for them.

"Isn't this nice," Fili grinned, "A little family reunion."

"Hardly," Hayden frowned.

"Well it is, you see," Fili explained, a smirk beginning to form on his face, "You're basically our Aunt now-"

"Are you really gonna go there again?" Hayden sighed.

"Why? Don't you like the idea of being our Aunt? I know you would love the idea of being married to Thor-"

"Do you wanna go? You and me outside – I already beat your brother," Hayden stepped forward threateningly.

"_What_?" Fili's grin widened and he raised his eyebrows at Kili, who deliberately avoided his gaze.

"I was caught off guard…" Kili mumbled.

"Haha! You mean this lass beat you-?"

"That's enough," Thorin said sharply, "Can we have one evening that is not interrupted by your arguing?"

"All apart of the celebrations, uncle!" Fili smiled, "Which reminds me, there a few nice looking lasses over there we must attend to."

"Oh no, please don't-" Hayden began to plead, but Fili and Kili had already disappeared into the crowd.

"Great. I hope they know how to use contraception," she mumbled.

"What is that?" Thorin frowned.

She stared at him, "What? You don't know what contraception is?"

"I have not heard of it," Thorin said, continuing to frown, "What is it?"

Hayden almost laughed at the idea of having to explain that particular concept to Thorin Oakenshield, so she just shook her head, "Believe me, if the time ever comes we'll talk about it… a very long talk at that."

Thorin stared blankly at her, "Would you care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly, no," she shook her head, looking out at her crowded and trashed apartment, "I'm going to be in absolute hell tomorrow."

"Do not worry, Fili and Kili are very good at cleaning," Thorin smirked, "How long do these gatherings usually last?"

"Too long," she groaned, looking around for any sign of the Company, "I hope they are all alright."

"They will be fine – they know how to enjoy themselves, believe me," he said.

"Do _you_ know how to enjoy yourself?" she asked him.

"It has been known to happen at times," he smiled slightly, "And a lot more often with you around."

Hayden smiled down to the ground – this guy really was too good to be true.

"Oh good, someone I know," Bilbo pushed through the crowd to where Hayden and Thorin were standing looking quite disheveled.

"Bilbo! Thank god you're alive, I was beginning to worry," Hayden smiled at him.

"Only just… this party is not like the ones in the Shire, that's for sure," Bilbo said a little breathlessly.

"You haven't seen the worst of it yet," she said, "Oh! I love this song."

The song on the system had changed to one of Hayden's favourite songs – which had a nice beat and was much less of a 'nightclub' song.

"Do you dance?" she asked Thorin, who shook his head quickly.

"I don't dance, no," he said gruffly.

"If that's the case," Bilbo said, holding out his arm to Hayden, "I would be honoured to have this dance, Miss Parker."

"I would be delighted, Bilbo," she laughed, giving him a mocking curtsy.

"You'll be alright?" she asked Thorin as she took Bilbo's arm.

"I will survive. You go," he said, a little rougher than before.

Hayden frowned but left him anyway – she had offered to dance with him after all.

She had a fantastic time with Bilbo – she always guessed hobbits would be good dancers – though she was a little regretful that it wasn't another person she was dancing with.

Halfway through the song however, someone tapped Bilbo on the shoulder and Hayden saw it was Kili, and tried not to look too disappointed.

"May I have a dance with the lovely lady?" he asked Bilbo, who nodded and offered Kili Hayden's hand.

Kili pulled Hayden into a similar dance to Bilbo, only it was definitely clear he was a far better dancer.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, Hayden," he said uncharacteristically mature.

"What's up?" she frowned at him.

"I know me and Fili can come off a little strong at first-"

Hayden laughed out loud.

"Alright, _a lot_ strong at first… but, and don't tell Fili I told you this, we do like you very much," he said, "No one has ever had as much effect on our uncle as you have."

"Oh… I- I don't, I didn't mean to-" she stuttered, not really sure what to make of Kili's comments.

"No, I mean we are truly grateful you came into our lives, Hayden," Kili said, "You may just be the best thing we get out of this quest."

"Oh," she blushed, "Thank you… but what made you tell me?"

"We've always loved you Hayden, we just enjoy pissing you off," he laughed, "But when you mentioned the orphanage I began to think maybe we're not so different after all…"

Hayden nodded – she knew Fili and Kili had been left orphans when they were only children and had been raised by Thorin.

The song came to an end and a new one began, a little more upbeat than the last but still slow.

For the second time, Hayden's dance was interrupted. Only this time, her heart skipped a beat and she beamed when she saw it was Thorin who had tapped Kili on the shoulder.

"Do you mind-?" he asked Kili, who grinned and stepped away from Hayden, letting Thorin step in and take Hayden into his arms.

"I thought you didn't dance," she mused, as his hand came to rest in the small of her back and the other entwine with hers.

"I don't," he said bluntly, "But I did not say I couldn't."

And he definitely could – it must have been a package deal that came with being a dwarf: a beard and fantastic dancing skills.

Hayden rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling his breath on her neck and his grip on her tighten, and sighed in content.

This was definitely the highlight of her hectic party.

* * *

**So there it is - hope you all liked it! ********I've been on quite a role with these last few chapters, so there will not be a long wait for the next chapter. **

******Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 16 of**_** An Unexpected Journey!**_


	17. Chapter 16 - New Discoveries

**CHAPTER 16 - NEW DISCOVERIES**

**A big event to come in this chapter! Cue: dramatic music  
**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

The next morning Hayden woke groggily, her head pounding and her eyes hurting from the sun that was shining through the windows.

It took her a while to figure out where she was, but when she did the pain was quickly forgotten.

Hayden had fallen asleep on her bed and lying next to her, still sleeping peacefully, was Thorin Oakenshield.

Thorin had one arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head was resting on his chest with her arms around his waist. They had fallen asleep on top of the bed covers still in the clothes they had worn the night before, and their legs were intertwined at the end of the bed.

Not wanting to ruin the moment by moving, Hayden tightened her grip on Thorin and sighed happily, feeling his chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath, and tried to remember what had happened the night before.

She remembered dancing, laughing, and drinking – way too much drinking – and vaguely recalled having a drinking competition with Dwalin and arm-wrestling with Kili, which would definitely explain her sore arm.

She could not remember how she had ended up on her bed with Thorin, but she wasn't complaining. Considering how hectic the party was, the fact that she was fully clothed and still conscious was definitely a positive.

Trying not to wake Thorin, she released her grip on him and sat up, stretching out her arms and running a hand through her hair in an attempt to look a little more presentable.

Her room was the way she had left it the day before, but what she dreaded was the mess waiting for her outside her door – she only hoped the Company had survived their first 21st century party.

"Good morning," Thorin said, sitting up next to her and stretching.

"Morning," she smiled, and winced as her head gave a huge thump.

"Headache?"

She nodded and fell back onto the pillows, clutching her head.

"That was not as bad as you predicted," he mused, lying down next to her.

"I don't know, I can't remember anything that happened after our dance," she groaned.

Thorin chuckled, "Allow me to refresh your memory."

He leant over and kissed her, and she felt his hand run along the bare skin of her leg.

When he pulled away she was more lightheaded than usual – it was definitely too early in the morning to not be affected by him.

"Funny, you'd think I might have remembered that," she smirked, and pulled him back over for another kiss.

And right on cue came a knock at the door.

Thorin growled in annoyance and Hayden let out a groan.

"Every bloody time," she sighed, getting up from the bed and stalking towards the door.

"This better be freaking good because I was having a very nice time-" she grumbled as she opened the door, "Oh, Bilbo."

"I am sorry for disturbing you, Hayden," Bilbo said, glancing nervously over to where Thorin sat, "But Gandalf asked me to fetch you and Thorin, it's very important."

Bilbo left as quickly as he had come, leaving Hayden standing stunned in the doorway.

"That wizard has impeccable timing," Thorin muttered, getting up off the bed and stretching.

"It must be important, Bilbo was in a lot more of a hurry than he usually is," Hayden observed, as she threw a jumper over her dress.

"Come," Thorin said, walking past her and putting a gentle hand on her back, "The faster we see what he wants the sooner we can return to our previous activity."

Hayden smirked, closely following him to the study and not daring to look behind her into the state of the rest of her apartment.

The hall was littered with cups and empty bottles, which annoyed her. She was a perfectionist at heart, and seeing her apartment like this, plus her enormous headache, really riled her up.

"Ah, there you are," Gandalf smiled. It had been a while since Hayden had last seen him and the wizard looked absolutely exhausted. She wouldn't be surprised if he had had no sleep since the company's arrival in London, and she felt a pang of guilt that she hadn't offered to help him more.

"We have very good news to inform you of," Gandalf continued, in his usually cheery mood, which confused Hayden. If she had gone without sleep for so long she would feel like killing someone.

"Indeed. What is this news?" Thorin asked, apparently still unimpressed that he had to leave bed for this.

"We have found a way back to Middle Earth."

There was a moment of pure silence where Hayden and Thorin both gaped at Gandalf in absolute shock.

"What?" Hayden gasped.

Thorin's eyes widened, "I'm sorry?"

"We – that is Master Baggins and myself – have found the solution to sending us back to Middle Earth."

"How on earth did you manage that?" Hayden asked.

"Ah, well if it weren't for you, my dear I may never have found it," Gandalf smiled fondly at Hayden, "You see, when you pointed out the Moon Runes on Thror's Map I deepened my research of the map itself."

"And?" Thorin asked desperately.

"And I discovered those particular runes were written by the light of a crescent moon on Midsummer's eve or as we know it, the 'Summer Solstice,'" Gandalf continued, "Now the moon's cycle is not important but on precisely midnight of the Summer Solstice we can be returned to Middle Earth."

"But how?" Hayden frowned, still not comprehending the logic of this scenario.

"On that exact time, we need to be standing in the place we were transported to originally and the portal leading to Middle Earth will appear again," Gandalf said cheerfully, "Of course, there are some complicated spells involved but nothing I cannot handle."

"Well this is fantastic!" Thorin beamed, "But when is the date of the Solstice in this world?"

"We were rather hoping Hayden could tell us that," Bilbo said, smiling expectantly at Hayden.

"Oh right," Hayden said, her brain still not fully functioning, and walked over to the calendar on her wall, "Well it's usually the third Friday of June, so this year that'll be… the 21st."

"And that is…?" Bilbo asked nervously.

"In three days," Hayden grinned.

Bilbo smiled brightly and laughed aloud, "Brilliant!"

"Gandalf you are a genius!" Thorin smiled and embraced the old wizard in a firm lighthearted handshake, which took Gandalf by surprise.

"Well done, Gandalf," Hayden beamed at him.

"I could not have even hoped to do it without your assistance, my dear," Gandalf smiled.

"And you aswell, Bilbo!" she laughed, hugging the hobbit. Bilbo was in much too good of a mood to act his usual awkward self and hugged her back.

"Come Bilbo, we must inform the rest of the Company," Gandalf said brightly, exiting the study for the first time in days.

"Oh, Gandalf!" Hayden called as he left, "If there's such thing as a cleaning spell it would be much appreciated."

Gandalf laughed, "I shall see what I can do!"

As soon as Gandalf and Bilbo had left the room Thorin leapt forward and pulled Hayden into a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. It was the most Hayden had ever heard him laugh, and it was so full of joy she could not help but laugh with him.

"You're going home," she smiled; too happy to register that this meant the Company would be leaving her.

"That is what I wanted to talk to you about," Thorin said, his face suddenly serious and taking both her hands in his, "What if… what if…"

Hayden had never seen Thorin struggle so much with words before.

"What is it?" she encouraged, because she really had no idea where he was going with this.

"What if… I went home with you."

Hayden stared blankly at him, letting her brain process what he had just said - which only worsened her headache. She was so speechless she could not even let out a dramatic gasp.

Thorin seemed to notice this, so he elaborated, "What if you came to Middle Earth with me…?"

"What?" she managed to choke out, "Come to Middle Earth with you?"

Thorin nodded, watching carefully for her reaction, but she honestly had no idea how to react.

"I- I don't know what to say…" she said carefully, knowing it had taken him a lot of courage to even mention this topic, "It sounds wonderful, but…"

"But?" Thorin's voice filled with dread.

"I- I can't just leave, I mean, my whole life is here."

"You can start a new one… with me."

She smiled for a moment then shook her head, "What about my apartment? All of my things?"

"You can take them with you. And I'm sure you will be able to sell your apartment before we leave."

But Hayden still felt hesitant, and she didn't even know why. She was being offered to go to _Middle Earth_ with _Thorin Oakenshield_ – why was she so uncertain?

"I see the way you talk of Middle Earth. Your eyes light up at the thought of it. Why not live there with me?" Thorin pressed on.

"That doesn't mean I can just forget about my life here. I've been in England for twenty-two years, I can't just leave without a thought," she said, beginning to feel annoyed. He somehow wasn't understanding that this was her home, despite how much she loved Middle Earth.

Thorin grew impatient and let go of her hands.

"Do you not want to be with me?" he asked stiffly, moving away from her across the room.

"Thorin!" she gasped, "I'll admit it's only been a few days and I'm not the best at showing my feelings, but you should know that's not true."

"Then why do you hesitate? Why do you worry?"

"Because I can't just leave my home! My life is here, my friends are here-"

"Your _friends_? Like the friends who trashed your home and left you with the mess?"

"Thorin they were just trying to help me - and I told you not to judge them based on the party, didn't I?"

"And why should I not? They are all the same here. The way they dress and talk to each other - it is disgusting!"

"But I'm one of them. So does that make me just one of those disgusting humans aswell?" she snapped.

"Hayden I did not mean-" he began, moving back towards her, but she flinched away from him.

"No I know exactly what you mean. Just because you think shit of my home doesn't mean that I don't love it."

"I know that you love it!" he growled.

"Yet you still think I will just drop everything I have here in a second," she snapped again, "I should think you would know what it's like to leave your home better than anyone."

"Do not use my home against me Hayden, you know nothing of it," he spat sharply, "And you know nothing of the world."

"No, I know nothing of _your_ world. But I sure as hell know my world and it is an absolute bitch, believe me," she said, stepping closer to him, "I may not have some fancy sword or battle scars to prove what I've been through, but that doesn't mean it wasn't just as painful. And I _never_ thought that I would have to say that to you of all people."

There was an awkward silence where they both glared at one another and Hayden tried her best to hold in her emotions. She was not backing down from this fight, and it was clear he wasn't planning on either.

"Then maybe it would be better if we stayed in the world's we know best," Thorin said.

"Maybe."

* * *

******I really hated doing this but, alas, it had to be done - it couldn't all be dancing and laughing and kissing (unfortunately).  
**

******Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 17 of**_** An Unexpected Journey!**_


	18. Chapter 17 - Heartbreaks & Heartaches

**CHAPTER 17 - HEARTBREAKS & HEARTACHES**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden needed to get out. That was all she knew.

Her apartment felt like it had shrunk to half its usual size, like it was slowly caving in and she was suffocating inside it.

She had left Thorin in the study without a backwards glance. Everything had happened so fast she was not sure exactly what had occurred. All she remembered was Thorin asking her to go to Middle Earth with him and then… it was over.

Just like that.

She had had worse ends to a relationship – if it could even be called that – but this one hurt the most.

Was it because she thought if something began between them it would never end? Yes. Or that he was the man of her dreams? That too. And the fact that she was absolutely, without a doubt, head over heels in love with him? Definitely.

Now that seemed pathetic. After all, Thorin was still a man, and she was still Hayden, so really who was she kidding?

Hayden dressed in her room quickly and quietly and left the apartment without a word, ignoring the curious glances of the dwarves around her and the fact that her apartment was now miraculously spotless.

With earphones in and music blearing she ran, to nowhere in particular, just ran. Trying to block out her thoughts and the voice that kept telling her she had just lost one of the best things that had ever happened to her in all her life.

* * *

Thorin for once had no words. He was, to say the least, heartbroken.

To anyone else he would say it was _her_ fault. That it was _her_ who had refused him, despite his many pleads.

But what he would never admit to anyone beside himself, because he was way too proud and stubborn, was that it was _his_ fault.

The great Thorin Oakenshield could conquer battles, save lives, defeat enemies… but love? Forget about it.

Because that's what it was, wasn't it? Love?

He had felt it when his sister had died, when he had watched his grandfather's beheading, when he had discovered his father was missing… and yet this pain was different.

Whenever he thought about leaving Hayden forever, it felt as if a dull knife was sawing back and forth through his heart. But then there was a spark that he had never felt before. This one spark that ignited whenever he thought of her, whenever he saw her.

The thought of never having that spark in his life again filled him with more dread than he had ever felt in his long life.

Why had he been so _stupid_? He should have understood she would find it hard to leave her home. But instead of comforting her, he just _had_ to fight back. That's what he had been doing all his life; fighting back. Now it just came as second nature.

And it had just cost him the love of his life. The only woman he would have made his wife, his Queen, the mother of his children…

And so Thorin sat in the study, lost in thought, not worrying about the stares of his kin as they peered into the room and for once, not even caring.

* * *

"Well _that_ escalated quickly," Kili observed, "How can they go from being all lovey-dovey to absolutely hating each other?"

"Beats me," Fili shrugged. "Those are two things I will never understand in life: women and our uncle."

"They are too much alike, that's the problem," Bilbo said, and Fili and Kili turned to stare at him.

Bilbo cleared his throat, feeling like he had spoken out of turn, "Sorry."

"No, do go on," Fili said, intrigued.

"You think Uncle and Hayden are alike?" Kili asked, frowning.

"Very much so," Bilbo nodded, "I don't know either of them very well but I can see it – we hobbits are quite the observers."

"If you would care to elaborate, Bilbo," Fili said, growing impatient.

"They are both very stubborn and hard-headed, but they have similar weaknesses," Bilbo explained, "One being their past."

"And the other?"

"Each other."

"You may be right there, hobbit," Fili nodded, "But I don't understand what their past has to do with it?"

"Didn't you hear what Hayden said after she had had those few drinks? About that woman who ran her _orphanage_?" Kili hinted to his brother – he still had not told him about the talk he had had with Hayden, and wasn't planning on it anytime soon.

"Of course, but I don't- oh…" Fili nodded, catching on.

"So you think Hayden had it bad in the past, like uncle?" Kili asked Bilbo, who nodded.

"I believe so, but I'm not entirely sure," Bilbo continued, "She doesn't strike me as one to open up easily to others, yet another similarity to Thorin."

"And she is rather tough for a woman," Kili said thoughtfully, "She almost beat Dwalin in the drinking round."

"But she beat you in that arm-wrestle," Fili muttered under his breath, holding in laughter.

"I wasn't prepared! She caught me off guard…" Kili said, frowning in embarrassment.

"I do wonder what they fought over…" Bilbo thought out loud.

"Well what were you talking about before you and Gandalf left?"

"We said we had found the way back to Middle Earth in three days time, but they both seemed very happy at-" Bilbo said, but was cut off by Fili and Kili's gasps.

"You don't think-?" Fili looked at his brother in horror, who nodded with a similar expression.

"What is it?" Bilbo asked quickly.

"Yesterday we confronted uncle about his 'purpose' with Hayden," Fili explained, his voice heavy, "And we may have convinced him to uh, bring her to Middle Earth with us…"

"And that's a bad thing?" Bilbo frowned.

"You see he wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea, something about how she might not want to come…" Kili said quietly.

"Oh…" Bilbo's frown deepened.

"You don't think she could have you know, said 'no', do you?" Kili asked Fili and Bilbo, who both shrugged.

"I do doubt it," Bilbo said, "It's obvious she loves both Thorin and Middle Earth… I wonder, perhaps, if it was something Thorin said… he does have a tendency to be uh, _insensitive_ at times."

"It's definitely a possibility…" Kili said, his voice trailing off while he thought.

"I've got it!" Fili exclaimed, after a moment of silence, "We need to find out what's going on. I for one am not leaving here without Hayden."

"Agreed," Kili nodded.

"So we split," Fili explained, "Bilbo you talk to Hayden and Kili and I will talk to uncle."

"What? Why me?" Bilbo spluttered.

"Because you're sensitive like that," Kili shrugged, "And she _loves_ you."

"How do you know that?" Bilbo asked suspiciously.

"I heard her tell uncle you were always her favourite character in the book," Kili nodded confidently.

"Oh, that is kind of her," Bilbo smiled, turning red.

"So it's settled then," Fili stood up, "We'll go to uncle now and as soon as Hayden returns you make sure to talk her."

Bilbo sighed, "Alright. Good luck!"

* * *

It was the late evening, and Thorin was now pacing up and down the apartment waiting for Hayden to return.

She had been gone the entire day and he was starting to get anxious. Not that she would ever get into trouble, she was very capable of keeping herself safe, but he was worried she might not come back at all.

The dwarves watched as their King anxiously waited for Hayden. They had never seen a man so restless to see a woman. They had, of course, known Thorin's true feelings for the girl immediately. But what Thorin would do with these new feelings was beyond them.

Fili and Kili's discussion with their uncle had gone rather the same way as their first interrogation of him involving Hayden – though this time there was a lot more yelling and physical violence out of Thorin's pure frustration.

But the young dwarves had managed to get through to him in the end, persuading him to listen to Hayden's version of events rather than butting heads with her – which really was inevitable considering how stubborn they both were.

Another hour past, the sky turned dark and Hayden still hadn't returned… another hour… another… and another, until all the Company had fallen into a peaceful sleep apart from Thorin, who sat wide awake on the edge of his seat.

Midnight… 2 am… 5 am… 8 am…

Thorin's eyes snapped open when he realised he had fallen asleep. He could tell it was early morning – and Hayden had still not returned.

His heart filled with a dread and the horrible aching feeling he had felt all the day before returned.

The dwarves all slept in their usual pile of blankets, and Gandalf was finally getting a good night sleep for once. Besides Thorin, the only other person who was awake was Bilbo Baggins.

The hobbit had woken in the early hours of the morning, unable to shake the feeling that Hayden might need him. He did care very much for the girl – after all, they would not be going back home if it weren't for her.

Noticing that Thorin was awake, Bilbo tentatively sat up and joined him at the kitchen table.

"You think she will come back?" Thorin asked Bilbo, after a long silence, which took Bilbo by surprise – Thorin had never asked for his advice before.

Bilbo sighed, "I don't pretend to be an expert on women – quite the opposite really… but I think she will."

Thorin nodded and lowered his face into his hands, rubbing his tired eyes.

"She loves you, Thorin," Bilbo added cautiously, "That I know to be true."

Thorin slowly raised his head to give Bilbo a curious glance and was about to speak when a sound echoed from the front door.

Thorin's head turned sharply in the direction the sound came from and without a second's hesitation he was striding over to the front door and Bilbo quickly followed silently behind him.

The dwarf and the hobbit looked out the window of the front door to the source of the noise and Bilbo had to hold in a gasp.

Hayden was sitting on the front steps of her apartment, her back facing the door and her head bowed in her arms.

As soon as he saw her Thorin made to open the door but Bilbo stopped him.

"I'm warning you hobbit-" Thorin growled menacingly.

"Let me talk to her," Bilbo said quickly, "Just let me see what's wrong, then you can see her."

Thorin glared down at Bilbo, "Fine. But be quick about it."

Bilbo nodded and quickly slipped past Thorin and through the front door, taking a deep breath before he made his presence known.

* * *

******Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 18 of**_** An Unexpected Journey!**_


	19. Chapter 18 - Trials & Tribulations

**CHAPTER 18 - TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS**

**I can't believe it: over 50 followers and almost 50 reviews! You guys have no idea how encouraging it's been while writing this story.  
Thank you so much! :)**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden sat on the steps leading up to her apartment with her face in her hands. She was crying harder than she had in a long time. Her eyes and nose were red with the amount of times she had wiped them dry, only to start crying again.

It had been a whole day and she still couldn't believe what had happened. She had spent the night at a friend's place, not feeling up to returning to her home and having to face the dwarves – and Thorin.

She had attempted to go back inside while they were asleep, but she simply couldn't do it and had broken down on the steps.

One part of her was devastated that she had ruined her chances of going to Middle Earth with Thorin, but the other part was furious with Thorin for being such an idiot.

The two sides clashed together. She wanted so desperately to be with Thorin but she couldn't just leave her life in England: her apartment, her friends, and her possessions – the life that she had created for herself.

But maybe that was why a little part of her didn't want to leave. She had survived her entire life in this world without any help from anyone. Sure, she had had good friends and the occasional boyfriend to help her out, but it had always been just her.

If she left with Thorin, all the reminders of her hard life and where she was now would leave too. She wouldn't be the sad orphan girl who had become a successful architect graduate on her own. She would be Thorin's girl, who was given everything she ever wanted because he is the King.

If only he understood that. But no one ever did.

The front door opened and she heard someone come down the stairs and sit next to her. She cursed to herself that they had been listening so closely to realise she was here and didn't move her hands from her face, too scared that it would be Thorin. But it wasn't.

Bilbo Baggins sat on the step next to Hayden looking rather uncomfortable, but with a determined expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

When Hayden realised it wasn't Thorin she slowly raised her head and Bilbo looked sympathetically at the girl, whose usually pretty face was red and lined with tears.

"Does it look like it?" she sniffed.

"No… no I suppose not. I am glad you're okay, though," Bilbo said sincerely, not receiving the sarcasm in her voice.

Hayden smacked her head against her knees, "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have disappeared like that, I just…"

"No, I understand," Bilbo shrugged, "We all knew you needed time… though Thorin seemed close to having a coronary."

"No kidding?" she raised an eyebrow, ignoring the pain that flooded her heart at the mention of him, "What did he do?"

"A lot of pacing, he was more edgy than usual, and from the look of him I don't think he got any sleep."

"Serves him right… stubborn bastard," she muttered.

Bilbo chuckled a little, "You may just be the first person to call Thorin Oakenshield that."

"Well he is," she grumbled, looking down at the ground and muttering angrily, "Stupid bloody proud dwarf… lucky he's so freaking good-looking…"

Bilbo stared at her curiously, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hayden lifted her head up again and propped her arm on her knee.

"Or we could do something more fun," she offered, "We could relive my childhood? Or visit Mordor?"

"You are a character, Hayden Parker," Bilbo chuckled, and then cleared his throat quickly, remembering that Thorin was probably listening to every word, "But really, what happened?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked.

Bilbo nodded sincerely. He was a good listener when he wanted to be, and he also knew how harsh Thorin could be at times.

And so the young girl and the hobbit sat on the steps talking in the cold London air. Hayden told him everything about her past and what had happened between her and Thorin, both the good and the bad.

By the end of her speech the hobbit looked slightly overwhelmed, but he knew that his predictions with Fili and Kili the day before were pretty much spot on.

"It seems to me, you aren't so much scared of leaving your home as you might think," Bilbo said earnestly, "I think you are more frightened of the idea of being abandoned."

Hayden frowned, thinking this over, "What do you mean?"

"Your whole life you have been fending for yourself, but you have never actually had a serious relationship nor an extremely close friend. I think that you are worried you are going to have to repeat your life again."

Bilbo paused for a moment, waiting for Hayden to sink it in, and then continued.

"If you give yourself to Thorin and go to Middle Earth with him, you risk being abandoned and having to start your own life alone all over again alone."

Bilbo hoped that he had explained himself clear enough, and just as he was beginning to worry that she hadn't said anything, she slowly nodded her head and sighed.

"What do you think I should do?" she asked, feeling right now she could trust Bilbo more than anyone else.

"Thorin is a very strong dwarf, as you will have noticed. It would take nothing short of a miracle to break through his barriers to see who he truly is. And I think you are that miracle. Don't let him go, Hayden."

And with that, Bilbo gave her a kiss on the forehead, stood up and walked back inside.

* * *

Thorin watched carefully from the window near the front door as Bilbo talked to Hayden outside. He had heard every word they had said to one another, and he could have kicked himself that he hadn't realised it was abandonment she was afraid of, not him.

He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when he heard her mutterings. No one had ever called him a 'stubborn bastard' before, at least not to his face anyway.

And when he heard how she truly felt, talking about him with as much love and compassion as he felt towards her, he made his decision without hesitation.

As Bilbo stood up and climbed the stairs, Thorin stood back to allow him inside. Bilbo looked Thorin in the eyes and puffed out his chest.

"Hayden is a strong young lady. Don't hurt her, or you will have me to answer to," Bilbo said confidently and he rushed off before Thorin could answer.

Impressed that the hobbit had stood up to him and not surprised by his protection of Hayden after how close they had grown, Thorin took a deep breath and stepped outside.

* * *

The sound of thick heavy boots echoed on the steps as Thorin made his way to where Hayden was sitting. She knew very well that it was Thorin. But after her talk with Bilbo she felt slightly more confident, though it didn't stop her stomach from doing nervous backflips.

"May I sit?" Thorin asked gruffly, standing awkwardly on the step Hayden was sat on.

"Sure," she sniffed, wiping her face in hope to look more dignified.

She waited patiently for Thorin to talk, but did not even glance his way once.

"I am sorry for how I reacted," he began, "I should have realised what you have been through in this world would effect your decision."

"So you heard my talk with Bilbo?"

"Yes," he nodded and frowned that this was the part she decided to comment on, "I was insensitive. But I do need you to know something Hayden Parker."

Hayden sighed and finally turned to face him. Her face was full of sadness and confusion, and it pained Thorin to see her so upset.

Thinking better than to take her hands Thorin continued, turning his body fully towards her and looking into her eyes, "If you do come with me, I will _never_ leave you. That I promise."

Hayden took a moment to process what he had said, and then she smiled weakly as tears began pouring from her eyes again, but this time they weren't tears of pain. She fell forward and rested her face on Thorin's shoulder, and he smiled, putting his arm around her and pulling himself closer so that they sat side by side on the step.

For a while they sat together huddled in the cold in silence, and when Hayden finally lifted her head off Thorin's shoulder he talked.

"Will you? Will you come with me to Erebor?" Thorin asked in a whisper, his eyes full of hope.

She considered him for a moment. Her brown eyes met his stormy grey ones, and slowly she nodded.

Thorin's face split into a smile and his eyes lit up. He leant down to kiss her but she pulled away, putting her fingers over his lips.

"But do Fili and Kili have to come too?"

Thorin raised an eyebrow at her, then he heard scuffling coming from the apartment and he realised they must be eaves dropping on them.

"No, they don't. I think we can afford to leave them behind," he smiled.

Shouts sounded from the front door and the two dwarves came running out.

"Hey!" Kili shouted.

"That's just not fair!" Fili bellowed.

But both brothers stopped when they saw Hayden and Thorin laughing at their reactions.

"Oh, that's hilarious," Kili said sarcastically.

"Real mature," Fili added.

"That's what you get for eaves dropping and ruining a perfect moment," she said indignantly.

Thorin stood up on the steps and offered Hayden his hand, which she took smiling. She straightened out her clothes and looked at Thorin, ignoring the stares of Fili and Kili.

Thorin put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him, and kissed her.

Fili and Kili choked and gagged mockingly in the background, which only made her smile and kiss him even more.

When Thorin pulled back from he kept his face close to hers and seemed to steel himself for what he was about to say next.

"I love you," he whispered.

Hayden's eyes widened and she smiled brighter than she ever had in her entire life – there it was, out loud.

"I love you too, Thorin," she smiled, hoping that this time starting a new life would be easier with him by her side.

* * *

******Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 19 of**_** An Unexpected Journey!**_


	20. Chapter 19 - Late Night Talks

**CHAPTER 19 - LATE NIGHT TALKS**

**First, once again, I would like to thank all of you for sticking by my story - even though we're probably only halfway through - it means so much! You are all legendary!  
Second, here are some answers to the questions/reviews posted for the latest chapters:**

**1. LianaDare8 - I will definitely be continuing this to their Middle Earth journey! I've grown too attached to Hayden to end it all here - so expect many more chapters to come!  
2. WolfishPennings - Hayden will be getting her affairs in order before she leaves, as explained in this chapter, and you're right she's unquestionably the kind of girl who goes in prepared. I haven't put too much detail into it though because I really want to focus on Hayden and the Company/Hayden and Thorin.  
3. Just a Guest - ermm I don't really know what to say to that haha I've read the book a gzillion times so yes I know they have the rest of the journey to go and that those characters die in BoFA... so I guess all I can say is this is a FanFic for a reason, and as faithful as I will stay to Tolkien and his fantastic book, I will be putting my own spin on the journey and to the ending... cue dramatic gasp!**

* * *

******************Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

With only two days until Midsummer's Eve, Hayden still needed to pack all her possessions and contact those she needed to – her excuse was a spontaneous move to "America" for "work," which seemed good enough for most of her friends and her landlord.

In the few bags she kept in her room she packed everything she thought she would need for her new life in Middle Earth. One bag held all the clothes she thought were appropriate; the second bag was dedicated to her books and notebooks (including all of Tolkien's works of course), pictures of her parents, friends and her posters.

When she had finally finished it was surprising to see how little she had that was significant to her over her lifetime.

When she wasn't packing, catching up with friends for one last time or helping the dwarves prepare for their journey however, she took every chance she could to watch any movies she wanted to see one last time.

Hayden and the Company would sit in the living room watching the movies she had chosen, her favourite reactions being from _Labyrinth_ and _Titanic_ – two movies that the Company didn't seem to understand at all, but which Hayden adored.

They gave disapproving grunts at David Bowie's style of clothing in _Labyrinth_, and seemed to think the idea of a man breaking out into song amongst puppet goblins (which were very unrealistic according to them) was absolutely ridiculous.

And fully they refused to even talk about _Titanic_.

"How can you _not_ get it?" Hayden asked, still wiping tears from her eyes halfway through the credits, "It's a tragic love story – what's not to get?"

"It's stupid," Kili shrugged, "He definitely could have fit onto that piece of wood with her."

"Alright, that's true, but still you didn't feel sorry for them at all?"

"Lass," Gloin said, "There were hundreds of people on one ship crossing a treacherous ocean – they were always doomed."

"You all are heartless."

"Aye, but at least our hearts are still beating," Bofur added, "Which is more than you can say for that Jack lad."

"Oh, I give up."

* * *

On the last night they were spending in England, Hayden and Thorin sat on her bed watching _We Bought a Zoo_. Hayden loved the story line of this movie, but she also loved to watch it because Matt Damon starred in it.

"I do not see what's so great about him," Thorin grunted in the middle of the movie, "Did he buy that _zoo_ to spend all his money or to get the lass?"

Hayden looked at Thorin, pretending to be offended, "He bought it to help his children and to get over the death of his wife!"

"Oh… I still do not understand why he bought it."

"You're just jealous because I think he's gorgeous – which he is – but you can't hate the movie because of it."

"What do you mean by _gorgeous_?" he asked, frowning at the word.

"It means he's very good-looking or pleasing to the eye," she smiled, sighing as Matt Damon came back onto the screen, "And believe me, he is _very_ pleasing to the eye."

Thorin grunted, "I am glad we do not have these 'movies' in Middle Earth."

"Why?"

"They have no point," Thorin shrugged, glaring distastefully as Matt Damon appeared once again.

"There's always a point to a movie, just like a book," Hayden said, "There's one movie I particularly enjoy more than others."

"Does it have this _Matt Damon_ man in it?" he asked disapprovingly.

"No. One of the characters is a hobbit called Bilbo Baggins," Hayden said and she saw Thorin try to hide a smile, "I think that movie would have a point, don't you?"

"Perhaps," Thorin shrugged, "If the only character in it was the hobbit though, it would be a rather boring story."

"Well actually, there are about fifteen main characters: a hobbit, a wizard and thirteen dwarves, if you would believe," she continued.

"You don't say?" he smirked, now turning to face her curiously, "Do tell me about these dwarves."

"They're not very interesting actually," she shrugged and laughed when she heard Thorin growl, "You might know the leader of their company though, his name is Thorin Oakenshield."

"I know of him," Thorin nodded, "Why?"

"Well in the movie he's moody and stubborn and proud," she said casually, "But I happen to know the _real_ Thorin."

"And what do you think of him?" he asked, leaning closer, his eyes trailing up and down her.

"He's moody and stubborn and proud," she smirked, running a hand absentmindedly down the front of the thin shirt he wore, "But he's also brave and smart and a perfect gentleman and he _can_ smile, despite what people may think."

Thorin smiled and chuckled quietly.

"And on top of that he's quite gorgeous," she added, noticing he was becoming distracted by the movement of her hand along his chest.

Thorin cleared his throat quickly, "Remind me of what that word means again?"

"Very good-looking or pleasing to the eye," she repeated softly, "And believe me, this Thorin is _very_ pleasing to the eye."

Thorin's breath became heavy, but before he could lean closer to Hayden, she pulled back and settled down to continue watching movie, hiding her smirk. She was enjoying watching his reaction to this situation – it wasn't everyday you got to control the emotions of Thorin Oakenshield.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Thorin. He narrowed his eyes at her, but did not settle back as Hayden had done. She almost showed her smirk when she saw him subtly adjust himself uncomfortably under the bed sheets.

When she saw he had not stopped staring at her she turned back around to face him, with an oblivious expression.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to watch the movie?" she asked, and let a small smirk show through her façade.

Thorin noticed this immediately and in an instant he flattened her on the bed and threw his leg over her so that he had pinned her down.

"You are a _tease_, Hayden Parker," he said, his face inches from hers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she shrugged, but she couldn't help but smile. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour and she tried her best not to show how much of an effect he was having on her in their current position.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are part dwarf," he observed.

"It would be a lot more interesting than being just human."

"There is nothing bad about your race," his head tilted curiously, "I rather prefer you being _just _human."

"Why?" she asked, a little suspiciously.

"I happen to think you look much nicer without a beard."

Hayden laughed, "So do I."

"That and, of course, our age," he added.

"And that means…?"

"I am 195 years old, you are 22," he stated, "Dwarves live to be around 250 years old and men 60 or 70."

Hayden stared blankly at him, "And your point is?"

"Think about it."

So she did. Thorin was 195 years old, which meant he had at least 50 or even 60 years left in his life. Hayden was only 22, but as humans aged faster than dwarves it meant that she had… at least 50 or even 60 years left in her life also.

"Oh," she gasped – as corny as it sounded, it was like they were a perfect match. What were the odds that in all of Thorin's long life, it was _now_ he had appeared in hers, where it was as if they were meeting in the middle?

"So you see," he said slowly, leaning down closer and his body involuntarily pressing up harder against hers, "If you were dwarf, or any other race for that matter, we would not have the chance to live out our lives together – and I would most definitely like to do that with you, Hayden."

Hayden took a moment to process this, and when she did, all she could do was smile like an idiot. The emotions that took over her in that moment were almost too overwhelming. She felt like she could swoon, melt and die all at the same time.

"You actually thought about that?" she asked with a grin, when she was sure her voice would not fail her.

"I had to do something to entertain myself," he shrugged, "It was either that or spend time with my idiot nephews."

"They're not too bad…" she smiled. After the talk she had had with Kili at the party, she was beginning to think there was more to them than what met the eye.

Thorin considered her carefully, "You know, I have never met a lass so taken by a company of _dwarves_ before."

"You have no idea," she laughed, "Having them – all of you – here is like a dream come true."

"We _are_ talking about the same Company, are we not?" Thorin asked in disbelief.

"I'm not kidding," she said, still half laughing, "When I was growing up, all I would read was fantasy books, because I always hoped one day I would be apart of a fantastic adventure."

"They are not always _fantastic_," Thorin muttered.

"But from _my _view they were," she continued, "I would have given absolutely anything to find Narnia in a wardrobe, or get a letter from Hogwarts, or have Gandalf knocking on my front door saying: 'I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure.'"

Thorin laughed aloud at her deep-voiced impression of Gandalf.

"I do not know of half the things you said, but I am very glad that none of them happened to you," he smiled, "Or we would not be here today."

He bent low over and kissed her slowly, and for the first time, Hayden didn't feel like she was going to faint – though it would still take some getting used to.

She soaked up everything of him that she had been too busy swooning to ever notice before: how he smelt of pipe smoke and wood, how his muscles flexed and tightened beneath his clothes whenever he moved, how his rough hands flowed surprisingly gently over her side as he kissed her. And _how_ he kissed her… she had never been kissed with so much emotion and love, and it was all pouring out of this one man.

She felt his hand gently grip her waist and pull her up closer towards him. She tried hard not to moan against his lips and ran a hand through his hair and down his face to his thick arms. With him pulling her closer and pushing down towards her she was forced to part her legs, wrapping them around his torso and she felt him settle in between her thighs.

When he pulled back from her, she noticed for a split second a look of overwhelming want pass through his stormy eyes before it melted into a considering expression.

"Are you sad?" he asked her in a whisper.

"Funnily enough, that's not the emotion I'm feeling right now," she smirked.

"I meant," he said, though smiling slightly, "About leaving?"

"A little," she sighed, "It's not going to be easy adjusting to a medieval lifestyle."

"I see," he frowned, apparently expecting a different answer.

She returned his frown and took his face in her hands, "But it's worth it." And before he had a chance to reply she kissed him.

"You don't have to take everything I say so personally," she said once she had broken away from him, "I love you, Thorin – nothing will change that."

"And I love you," he said, returning her kiss, and then continuing to frown, "That is what I worry of…"

Hayden raised an eyebrow in question.

"The things I love always seem to slip away from me," he said slowly, "And- and I do not think I could live if you… if anything happened to…"

His voice trailed off and he glanced away from her uncomfortably, looking close to breaking down.

"Hey," she said gently, moving his face so that he was looking at her again, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You're stuck with me, unfortunately."

He managed a small smile, "I would not rather be stuck with anyone else."

He kissed her once and then slid off her, much to her surprise and disappointment.

When he saw her stares he merely shook his head and absentmindedly touched her hair as he spoke.

"If my feelings for you are true, then we shall wait for the right time and the perfect moment to be together," he stated simply.

Hayden continued to stare; "I think you're the first man I have ever heard say that."

"Make no mistake, Hayden," he said sternly, "I am not one of the _boys_ from your world… I am a dwarf, a grown man, and I will have us wait. It is what you deserve."

He kissed her once again, only this time for longer, and she could feel the hunger and desire in his lips that his honour was fighting back.

She pulled back from him breathlessly, "How long away exactly is 'the right time'?"

"Whenever the time is right," he replied, which only made her more confused, "But believe me, it will be just as hard for me to restrain as it will be for you."

_I highly doubt that_, she inwardly sighed, but somewhere inside her, granted deep deep _deep_ down, she was glad of his decision.

It made her feel even safer that she was going to a strange land with a man who thought of his honour first, not his masculine desires.

* * *

******If you were confused when I mentioned the movie _Labyrinth_ then put it on your list of movies to watch! It's an old 80's movie but it's classic, and to be honest, who wants to pass up watching a young David Bowie dancing around in tights?**

******I've written the next chapter already and really it's too cute not to post straight away so it'll be up soon! :3**

******Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 20 of**_** An Unexpected Journey!**_


	21. Chapter 20 - A New Family

**CHAPTER 20 - A NEW FAMILY**

**********************Milestone! We've hit chapter 20 - and it's extra long, just to celebrate :)**

**********************Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden woke the next morning with Thorin's arm wrapped around her waist from behind her. It was the first night they had slept in the same bed through the entire night – well, the first night she could remember, at least. And she had to admit she wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning.

Memories of the night before flew around in her mind and she couldn't help but smile to herself in content. Today was the day she would get to see the land of her dreams. The world that she had dreamed about going to since she had first read _The Hobbit_ – and now it was really happening. It was all too good to be true.

Her stomach twisted a little at that - _too good to be true__... _She had been pushing that out of the way since she had agreed to go to Middle Earth with Thorin, but now it came to the front of her mind.

She had read _The Hobbit_ millions of times and each time it ended the same: the slaying of Smaug, the Battle of the Five Armies – and Thorin's death. But surely the ending wouldn't be the same as the book? The Company's appearance in her apartment made it very different as it is. But there was still a chance, a very real chance that he could-

She quickly shook the thoughts from her head. _No, I will be there with him this time_, she thought defiantly, _and I won't let that happen_.

Convincing herself that she was worrying for nothing, she slowly turned around to face Thorin and studied him as he slept soundly.

His face was relaxed; his mouth slightly open, and she could see the outline of his muscles through his shirt, which was enough to take her breath away.

_God, if that's with his shirt on I can't wait until it's off_, she thought with a smirk.

If someone had told her a few weeks ago that she would be in love with Thorin, King Under the Mountain, she probably would have run from them thinking they were psychotic. Now, it made so much sense. It seemed cliché to think that her whole life had been a struggle and a blur until this moment, but it was true.

Careful not to disturb him, she got out of bed, planning on finding clothes to wear and taking a long shower - _and _last_ shower_, she thought with a groan.

"Where are _you_ running off to?"

Thorin was sitting awake in the bed and had propped his head up on his arm, looking at her with satisfaction and amusement.

"Getting ready," she stated, still looking around for her clothes.

"Why?"

She stood up straight and looked at him, "_Why_? Because it's freezing and we have long day ahead of us."

"All the more reason to come back to bed," he grinned, lifting up the blankets and inviting her in.

The temptation was all too much, and she rolled her eyes and crawled back into bed, wrapping her legs around him. She propped up a pillow and layed her head on it so that she was eye level with Thorin.

"I am going to miss it here," he sighed, laying his hand over hers.

"Me too… but it's worth it," she smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

"I should warn you," he said seriously, "This journey will be dangerous – and I need you to promise you will do everything I tell you."

"What do you think I am?" she asked indignantly, "A child?"

"No," he said, "You are simply very stubborn and I won't have you hurt because you think you know better than me."

"I _do_ know better than you," she shrugged, "And if I'm stubborn then you're the bloody King of stubbornness."

"You see? Even now you are fighting back!"

"And you wouldn't do the same?" she scoffed, and he stayed silent, "But yes, I will do everything you tell me."

"That was not so hard, was it?"

"Don't get too used to it."

Hayden made to get up but Thorin's strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

"Not so fast, woman," he said, and she turned to glare at him.

"_Don't_ call me that."

"What, woman? You _are_ a woman though," he smirked challengingly.

"And a _woman_ who has a name," she huffed, making to get up once again. But Thorin continued to ignore her protests, holding her down and kissing her jawline and down her neck, causing her to moan in surprise delight.

"You-" she made to insult him but he caught her mouth with his, quickly silencing her.

"'Stubborn bastard'?" he offered.

Hayden went slightly pink in the cheeks, "You heard that?"

"And a few other names, which I must admit were quite creative for a young lady."

"Well, serves you right for eavesdropping," she retorted, and quickly slipped out of bed before he could stop her, leaving behind a surprised Thorin glaring at her from the bed.

"Morning," she said to the Company as she walked into the kitchen, receiving a few grunts and hellos in reply, as they were only just waking up.

"I was wondering, Parker," Kili called from the couch, "If you had seen Thorin?"

"Of course, he's in my-" she abruptly stopped talking when she saw the smirk on Kili's face and the dwarves all turned to stare at her.

"You mean to say that the perfect Miss Hayden Parker spent the night with a _man_ in her bed?" Fili jeered dramatically, sitting up straight in his seat.

"You will honestly be the _death of me_," she glared at Fili and Kili, her face blushing bright red.

She made to busy herself making a coffee but stopped when she saw out of the corner of her eye the dwarves exchanging small brown packs between one another.

"What are you doing?" she asked them suspiciously.

"Gambling," Dwalin grunted, throwing his own money pack to Fili, who grinned happily.

"On what?" her eyes narrowed with further suspicion.

"How long it would take you and Thorin to spend the night together," Bofur replied.

Hayden almost dropped her coffee mug in shock.

"_What_?"

"Please Hayden, don't act like you don't know what that means," Fili stared disbelievingly at her.

"No, I know what it means," she spluttered, turning an even brighter red, "But we didn't- there wasn't any- we didn't do uh…"

At this the dwarves stopped to stare at her again, pausing in between sorting the winnings.

"What do you mean?" Kili said, looking rather crestfallen, "You just _slept_? You didn't _do_ anything?"

"Of course not!" she growled, never feeling more relieved that Thorin was not in the same room as her, "I have some self respect you know."

She hid the fact that it wasn't exactly her idea to wait for 'the right time' – if it was up to her she would spend all day wrapped around the handsome dwarf – but she wasn't going to let the Company know that.

At her words, about half the dwarves who had been handed packs of money begrudgingly gave them back to their original owners. Fili and Kili, who had gained the most from the bet, were most reluctant to give back their winnings and looked disappointed in the result of the night.

"So, you all took bets on how long it would take Thorin and I to sleep together?" she asked them incredulously, leaning on the kitchen bench.

"Pretty much," Gloin shrugged.

"I can't believe you all, that's so horrible!" she frowned, noticing the dwarves looked unabashed by her reaction.

"What is horrible?" Thorin asked, walking into the room.

_Oh, typical, now he walks in_, she thought bitterly.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, shooting all the dwarves a warning glare, "I just found out dwarves are rather fond of gambling."

Thorin grunted and shrugged, brushing his hand around her waist as he past her to get a drink.

Hayden heard Fili and Kili snigger from the other side of the room and she shot them another glare.

"Want to make this journey a lot more interesting, Parker?" Kili asked, jumping up from his seat to join her at the bench, his brother close behind him.

"Because we all know it's going to be _so boring_," she scoffed, "That depends, though."

"How about you join us all in another bet?" Kili suggested.

"I'm listening," Hayden nodded for him to continue.

"We've all placed guesses as to where in Middle Earth we're going to land," Kili explained, "Simple enough, the person who guesses correctly wins the cash."

"As interesting as that does sound, I don't have any money to gamble," she shrugged, "At least none that's worth anything in Middle Earth."

"Do not worry about that, I shall provide the money," Thorin said, joining in on the conversation.

"What? No, I can't-"

"You can, and you will," he said simply, "If by chance you do win, we will share the winnings."

"Why?" she frowned.

"What's mine is yours," he said with a smile.

She returned the smile and took his hand, which was resting on the bench, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Alright then, I'm in," she said triumphantly, turning back to Fili and Kili, who had been unusually quiet during her and Thorin's conversation. After she spoke, they seemed to wake up from their daze and became their normal selves once again. But she did notice they did not make a sarcastic comment about Thorin's sweet gesture, which was definitely odd.

"Fantastic," Fili grinned, "Where do you think we will land?"

"Fili guessed Dol Guldur, I said Mordor," Kili listed, "A few of the lads guessed the Shire, Mirkwood, and Bifur said Erebor – at least I think that's what he said."

"Rivendell," she said, making up her mind immediately.

"_Rivendell_?" all three dwarves stared at her.

"Rivendell," she nodded with a smirk. She had no idea why she had chosen the Elven Kingdom, but she had a strong feeling they would end up there, in the place the Company should have visited next.

"All right," Fili shrugged, "Whatever you say."

"You better hope for uncle's sake you're right," Kili added, before leaving.

"Rivendell?" Thorin asked her in distaste, "Are you certain?"

"No," she laughed, "But I think I might be right."

"I hope so," he said, looking very uncertain of her guess.

* * *

The Company was in a rather quiet mood for the rest of that day, despite the fact that they were only a few hours away from returning home.

It seemed that, although they were motivated at the start of their journey, they were not at all looking forward to leaving the comfort of Hayden's apartment, which Hayden understood. She supposed it was like going from a sleeping bag on the rough ground while camping to a cozy warm bed in doors – that and the constant fear of being attacked in the middle of the night by orcs.

Hayden spent her day finishing packing and spending time with the dwarves, before the start of their treacherous journey. They had planned to hide her bags wherever they were transported to, so she packed all her essentials into the rucksack that she would be carrying with her.

"I think I'm finally done," she said triumphantly as she zipped up her rucksack.

"Took you long enough," Fili mused from her desk, where he was lounging on the chair.

"Shut up," she muttered, picking up one of the suitcases, "Thorin, would you mind-?"

Thorin nodded and picked up the other case, but as he did so, the zipper slipped open and all her books and photos came tumbling out.

"Oh, shit!" she groaned, "I swear I zipped that up-"

But she stopped when she heard a snigger coming from her bed, where Kili lay sprawled across it, trying hard not to laugh at the scene before him.

"You son of a bitch," she muttered, her eyes narrowing at Kili, who pointedly looked away from her.

She dropped her suitcase and rucksack to the floor and leapt onto the bed in fury, pinning Kili down and whacking him hard with a pillow.

"You _asshole_! I can't believe you! Do you know how long it took for me to pack that?" she yelled in between beatings.

Kili was breathless from laughter, apparently unabashed by Hayden's anger.

"Children," Fili muttered, pretending to look disapprovingly at the scene.

"Make yourself useful Fili and pick up Hayden's books," Thorin ordered his nephew.

"But it wasn't me who-"

"Do it."

Sighing, Fili reluctantly got off his seat and began piling Hayden's stuff back into her suitcase, and as he was doing so, he noticed a thick folder, the size of an A3 piece of paper.

Making sure his uncle was not looking, he peaked inside to see what was in it and whistled in awe. There were hundreds of hand sketches and water paintings of buildings and structures, some from this century, others that he recognised from Middle Earth.

"Hey!" Hayden yelled at Fili, noticing what he was looking at, "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to look through other people's stuff?"

"No, Thorin was never a very good teacher," Fili smirked, but it quickly disappeared when he heard Thorin's growl from the other side of the room.

Leaving Kili on the bed, Hayden made to grab the book from Fili but he jumped away from her agilely.

"Fili, don't you dare ruin that," she said through barred teeth, attempting to snatch the book away once again but failing.

"Now, why would I do that?" he asked sweetly.

"Because you're the spawn of the devil."

"A little harsh, Hayden," Fili clutched his heart in mocking pain.

"Seriously, Fili, give it back!"

"Oh, _seriously_? Did you hear that Kili- she's serious about this," Fili grinned, throwing the book over Hayden's head to Kili.

"I had no idea," Kili shrugged, catching the book and looking inside it, all the while dodging away from Hayden, "Wow, Parker. You drew these?"

"Would you just give it back?" she sighed and looked expectantly at Thorin, "Are you always this helpful?"

Thorin sighed and whipped the book out of the air as Kili went to throw it back to Fili, but he did not give it back to Hayden. He opened it just as Kili had done and looked very interested at its contents.

"Hm, there's something new to learn about you each day," he observed, flipping through the pages, "Did you draw these?"

"Yes," she said bluntly, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"You have a real talent," Thorin said, and his face split into a smile at the next drawing.

"What is it, uncle?" Kili asked.

"Our home," Thorin smiled, and held up the book to show a hand sketch of the front doors of Erebor.

"That's Erebor?" Fili stepped forward for a closer.

Fili and Kili had been born after the attack of Smaug, and had never seen their true home before – as there were no pictures in Middle Earth of the Dwarven Kingdom.

"Wow," Kili breathed in awe, "It's even better than I imagined."

The three dwarves turned to stare at Hayden, who was looking at the scene in much interest.

"Where did you learn to draw like that?" Kili asked her.

"I didn't, I just- I don't know I've always drawn…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"But why Erebor?"

"There are more drawings besides Erebor, you know," she frowned, stepping forward to take the book from Thorin, "Look, here's the Doors of Durin…"

She flipped through the pages, naming each of the sceneries she had drawn out that were from Middle Earth.

"The Shire… another Lonely Mountain… Mirkwood… oh and Rivendell-"

"Urgh, _Rivendell_?" Fili scoffed, "I was beginning to think you had some taste."

"There's nothing wrong with Rivendell, it's beautiful," she said, ignoring the dwarves grunts, "Well I'm not a dwarf and I'm not biased – I'll draw whatever I want."

"Why do you draw so many structures?" Fili asked, "You could draw something more interesting – like us?"

He and Kili struck a pose then and there, and Thorin sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I don't draw people," she said simply, "I draw buildings and scenery."

"_Why_?"

"Because our Hayden is an architect," Thorin answered for her.

"An _architect_?" Fili nodded, impressed, "You mean those people who make towers and cities?"

"Yes- and no," Hayden frowned, "We _design_ them- you know, form the ideas and give the dimensions, the actual _making_ is up to the builders."

"Huh," Fili laughed, clapping his uncle on the arm, "She may actually be useful after all."

"Besides for giving us little cousins," Kili added.

"I should have known that was coming," she sighed and for the first time, noticed that Thorin also seemed to look rather awkward at this comment too.

She had never paid any attention to Thorin when Fili and Kili brought up the idea of Hayden becoming Queen and having Thorin's children, but apparently he found it just as embarrassing as she did, because he looked pointedly away from her and went quieter than usual.

"Get out of here," Thorin growled to his nephews, "Before I lose my temper."

"Sorry, uncle but we need to borrow Hayden," Kili shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not just some book for loan," she said indignantly.

"Oh, of course, dear," Fili smiled sweetly, "Keep telling yourself that."

"One of these days-"

"Yes, yes," Kili waved a hand, "We've heard all the threats, believe me."

"Now, follow me," Fili said, stepping out of the room and dramatically gesturing for them to follow.

Hayden sighed and reluctantly followed Fili and Kili out of her room, with Thorin trailing behind her. They found the entire Company waiting for them in the lounge room, looking expectantly as Hayden and Thorin walked into the room.

"Do take a seat, lass," Balin said kindly, offering her a chair that was facing them.

"Oh, thank you," she said and frowned to herself – the attitude in the room seemed a lot more serious than usual, "What, uh- what's going on?"

"We wished to speak with you, my dear," Gandalf said.

"About…?" she asked expectantly, looking over at Thorin, who shrugged, but she got the feeling he knew what this was about.

"Our journey, Miss," Dori said, "You see, it's-"

"It's going to be very dangerous," Dwalin interrupted.

"Oh, I know Thorin already-" she began to say.

"But it's not only orcs or goblins we fear," Gloin said darkly, "There are- well, there are-"

"Worse things that can harm a young lass," Balin sighed.

"I don't understand…" Hayden frowned.

"I think the point our dear dwarves are trying to make," Gandalf stepped in, "Is that you are unquestionably very beautiful, Hayden, and there will no doubt be certain… uh, certain _people_ who may try to, well, take advantage of you."

"Oh…" Hayden suddenly understood and her frown deepened. She knew that sort of stuff would inevitably happen in Middle Earth; she _had_ watched Game of Thrones after all. But she had always naively believed it would be a lot more innocent and nicer to live in.

"But if anyone-" Kili began.

"Literally, _anyone_," Fili quickly added.

"Lays a hand on you-" Kili mimicked a violent action with his hands of what he would do.

"We don't care if it's a beggar or the bloody King of Middle Earth," Fili said boldly.

"Bad things will happen to them," Kili finished bluntly.

"Oh, you guys, that's so sweet," she smiled, her heart warming as she looked around at the Company, "But I don't expect you to get into trouble just for me-"

"Not _just_ for you," Bofur said, "If anything happened to you, lass-"

"We would never forgive ourselves," Bombur finished for his brother.

"The point is," Balin smiled, "We know you have never had a true family-"

"How do you know that?" Hayden said quickly, looking from Thorin to Bilbo, who were the only two she had told about her past.

"No one told us," Fili said hurriedly, "We figured it out for ourselves."

"Oh, really?" she stared suspiciously at Fili and Kili, knowing this had something to do with them.

"_Anyway_," Kili continued for Balin, "Since you'll be _all alone_ when we arrive in Middle Earth-"

"Well I won't be _all alone_," she mimicked Kili, "will I? I'll have all of you."

"Exactly," Fili nodded, "You'll have us. We'll be like the family you never had."

"What?" she said slowly in a whisper, "Family? _My _family? … _Why_? Why _me_, I don't…"

"All of us care very much about you, Hayden," Bilbo said, "Without you, we would not be going home."

"And you made us feel like we had a home," Nori said.

"So… you want to be my family?" she said slowly.

"Not _want_ to be," Kili said, "We _are_ your family, Parker."

Hayden looked around at the rest of the Company who were all nodding in agreement.

"Oh…" she said and smiled, feeling tears coming to her eyes.

She had never had a family before, and here were the Company, _the_ Company telling her they cared about her and that they were her family. She could not have felt happier than in that moment.

"Have we upset you, lass?" Ori asked concernedly, for they had all noticed the tears in her eyes.

"N-no," she half laughed, sniffing and wiping away her tears, "That's- that's the nicest, sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me…"

She quickly hid her face in her hands as tears came streaming down from her eyes.

"And this is what happens when we try to be nice," Fili sighed, "Typical."

Thorin frowned at Fili and walked over to where Hayden sat, kneeling down so that he was at her eye level and gently took her hands away from her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she sniffed and smiled, "It just took me by surprise."

"We know we don't look much of a family," Gloin shrugged.

"But we're a hell of a lot better than elves, that's for sure," Bofur chuckled.

"No, no," Hayden shook her head, "I couldn't ask for a better family."

The Company all beamed at her and she returned their smiles, looking down at Thorin and noticing that he was smiling aswell.

She wiped away the last of her tears, laughed brightly and fell forward into Thorin's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"Well, I don't see why Thorin should get all the love," Kili shrugged and Fili nodded.

They both leapt up from their seats and Hayden eyed them wearily, breaking away from Thorin.

"Group hug!" they called out, lifting Hayden from her seat and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

The dwarves all cheered and jumped up from their seats, surrounding Hayden, Fili and Kili in a massive dwarf hug.

In the tight huddle Hayden was somehow shuffled around, receiving hugs from each of the dwarves (and Bilbo of course) and her smile did not falter once.

* * *

At five minutes to midnight the Company and Hayden began making their way to the kitchen gloomily. Although they were looking forward to going home, they had been more relaxed and happy in this time then they had ever been in Middle Earth.

Hayden, however, was shaking with nervousness. It was all too much for her. No longer than a week ago she was just a university graduate sitting on her couch reading her favourite book. Now, she was travelling to the land she was obsessed with, alongside the man she loved more than anyone in the world.

With only 90 seconds to go they huddled together. Gandalf stood at the front with his staff in front of him, muttering in a strange language that Hayden recognised as Sindarin – an ancient language used by the immortal elves.

60 seconds… Gandalf was holding out a hand and talking louder now with his eyes shut in concentration.

30 seconds… Thorin took Hayden's hand in his and squeezed it, and the dwarves all shuffled around impatiently.

10 seconds… Gandalf's voice became even louder and she heard lightning crack outside. Her stomach was twisting nervously.

5 seconds… Hayden took one last look at her apartment and said her last goodbye to England.

3…2…1…

The floor beneath them began to rumble and shake, which was all too familiar to the Company. Hayden squeezed Thorin's hand for comfort, but held her ground. Her kitchen floor began to crack and split, only this time the dwarves did not panic or struggle against it.

The last thing Hayden felt was the floor underneath her fall and she lost her feet and fell into the darkness below her, not letting go of Thorin's hand.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 21 of _An Unexpected Journey_!**


	22. Chapter 21 - Middle Earth

**CHAPTER 21 - MIDDLE EARTH**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

The Company fell through the blackness and came to a crashing stop as they collided with the ground.

Hayden reluctantly was not at the bottom of the pile and had landed, to her delight, on Kili's stomach.

"Okay, Kili?" she asked the young dwarf laughing, and he pushed her off before she could say anything else.

Gandalf was the first to stand up and regain his dignity. He made a quick headcount to make sure everyone was with them, and then looked around to see where they had landed.

"Haha!" he cried with a bright smile, "We are in Rivendell, my friends!"

Hayden, who was in the middle of helping Bilbo up from the ground, almost dropped him.

"Rivendell?" she muttered, and her jaw dropped as she finally had a chance to look around her.

It was the most beautiful place she had ever been in. She had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining it. They were standing near a long bridge on a platform, which led up to buildings that only elves could make. They were elegant and flowing in their designs, but were not subtle in their beauty.

It was as amazing as Hayden had always hoped it was, and her opinion was definitely not shared with the dwarves. They were muttering to themselves and cursing that this was where they had landed of all places.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Hayden said in awe to Thorin, who merely grunted and tried not to look impressed. Hayden ignored him and walked to where Gandalf stood, looking extremely pleased at their luck.

Gandalf acknowledged Hayden and smiled kindly.

"I am very glad you chose to join us, Miss Parker. It will definitely help to lighten the spirits of our Company with you around."

Hayden smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment.

"Am I correct in saying that this is exactly where we were to be next?"

Hayden nodded, "Yes, obviously without all the travel and being chased down by orcs."

Gandalf laughed heartily, "I do not think we will miss that part."

"Gandalf," Thorin said, striding over to where they stood, "We must leave at once. The elves will not give our quest their blessing and you are well aware of that."

"Of course I am," Gandalf snapped, losing his lighthearted smile, "But we will keep refuge here until all our questions have been answered."

"I will not stay in the company of elves," Thorin raised his voice, "And what questions do we have that Hayden cannot answer for us?"

"You have no choice in the matter," Gandalf replied quickly, raising himself to his full height, "I have much to discuss with Lord Elrond, once he makes his presence known, and you will make sure to leave the talking to me."

No sooner had Gandalf stopped speaking did the sound of elvish horns fill the air, echoing down from the flight of stairs at the far end of the platform.

Walking down the stairs was a company of seven elves, one walking a few steps ahead of the rest and whom Hayden immediately recognised.

"Lord Elrond…" Hayden whispered, staring in awe at the elves. Their faces were smooth and ageless and they walked with an ease that matched the flow of the buildings and waterfalls.

"Ah, Lord Elrond!" Gandalf cried, spreading his arms wide and bowing his head in respect.

"Mithrandir," Elrond replied when he had reached the bottom of the steps. He embraced Gandalf with open arms and smiled warmly, "And you bring dwarves with you, my old friend."

Elrond looked around at the dwarves, who had huddled together in a large group as far away from the elves as they could be without falling over the edge.

Hayden was standing behind Thorin, who had immediately stepped protectively in front of her as the elves had appeared, and she could do nothing but stare at Elrond. No one would have guessed that in her mind she was freaking out and deeply restraining herself from screeching like a fan girl.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain," Elrond said to Thorin as the dwarf approached him.

"I do not believe we have met," Thorin replied, with a slight bite in his voice.

"I knew your grandfather when he ruled under the Mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you."

Gandalf stepped forward and glared at Thorin, before turning to Elrond with a smile.

"Our Company has had quite the journey, Lord Elrond."

"I am aware," said Elrond, turning away from Thorin, "Your quest has not gone unnoticed. Nor did your disappearance."

"Of course," Gandalf replied, bowing his head again slightly.

"But where is your new addition?" Elrond asked Gandalf, who gestured behind Thorin to where Hayden stood.

Hayden had been too busy admiring the scenery to notice all eyes had turned towards her. When she finally realised, she blushed and crossed her arms self-consciously; she felt rather out of place wearing her brown jumper and tights next to the elegant robes of the elves.

"Ah!" Elrond smiled and took an swift step forward to greet Hayden, "Miss-?"

"Parker, Hayden Parker," she replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Miss Parker, we are delighted you could join us," he took her hand and kissed it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Thorin glower.

"I was not aware you knew about our Hayden?" Gandalf asked Elrond curiously, and Hayden smiled – she liked it when Gandalf referred to her as 'our' Hayden, as if he was proving she really was apart of their group.

"But of course. We felt the presence of a new soul in our world the moment she arrived with your Company," Elrond replied, not turning away from Hayden. She was finding it hard to concentrate on what they were saying with him staring at her.

"I understand that you already know a great deal more about our world than any other mortal?" Elrond asked Hayden, who frowned – _how could he possibly know that?_

"Um, well I suppose. I like to think that," she laughed nervously.

"Can you tell me, my lady, what-?"

"Lord Elrond, if I may interrupt, we all trust Hayden completely, there is no need-" Gandalf begun, but Elrond interrupted him.

"I merely wish to know the extent of her knowledge, Mithrandir."

"Oh, believe me, my Lord, there is no extent," he smiled, looking fondly at Hayden.

"Then may I ask Miss Parker, what is the proper name for the realm you now stand in?"

"You mean Rivendell?" she asked nervously, and Elrond nodded, "Well, in the common tongue it's called Rivendell, but it's also referred to as _the Last Homely House West of the Mountains_. In the ancient Sindarin language though, it's called _Imladris_."

Elrond raised his eyebrows and pressed on with another question.

"And who founded _Imladris_?"

"Well it was you," she frowned, as if this were obvious, "Lord Elrond, son of Eärendil and Elwing."

Elrond's expression did not change at her second answer, but continued to raise his eyebrows and look at the young girl, clearly impressed.

"It seems you were right, Mithrandir," Elrond smiled, and Gandalf chuckled.

"Elladan," Elrond said, and one of the elves split from the group and to stand by his side, "Show Miss Parker to her rooms where she may dress for dinner."

"Yes, Father," Elladan nodded obediently and offered Hayden his arm, which she hesitated in taking. As wonderful as it was to be in Middle Earth, she wasn't sure she was ready to be away from her friends or Thorin, no matter how short a time for.

She looked nervously over to Gandalf, who nodded encouragingly, and then to Thorin, who looked absolutely murderous.

"Fear not, my lady," Elrond said, "You will be reunited with your Company in little to no time."

Hayden nodded and smiled, taking Elladan's arm as graciously as she could. Thorin made to step forward towards her but Dwalin put a heavy hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"She'll be fine, Thorin," he said confidently.

Elladan led Hayden up the stairs towards the flowing buildings, but not before she could turn and beam at the Company below her. She was in freaking _Rivendell_ after all, she might as well enjoy it.

* * *

"You know a lot of Middle Earth for a mortal," Elladan said softly to Hayden. He was a few feet taller than her and had long brown flowing hair just like his father.

"Uh, yes. Back home I was obsessed with Middle Earth and everything to do with it. And now I'm here, and it's absolutely amazing," she said, trying to hold back her emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.

"I see… And have you always wished to come here?" he asked politely, leading her through a hall with gold painted ceilings.

"Always… especially Rivendell… and it's even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined," she smiled, looking around at the delicate detail on each wall and column.

"You like the buildings?" he asked.

"Very much. I studied architecture back home. Let's just say this is an architects fantasy."

Elladan laughed softly – even his laugh was elegant. It was strange for Hayden to be around such a proper man after being surrounded by dwarves for the past week.

"Your room, my lady," Elladan bowed his head as he lead her through a door into another room, "Dinner will be served shortly," and with that he left her alone.

Hayden stood shell shocked for a while. She barely had any time to think about where she was or who she was with before she had ended up in her own room in Rivendell.

She explored the room and examined the exquisite detail on every inch of the walls. It was almost too stunning to look at.

On the bed – which was almost as big as the room itself – were clothes layed out for her made of fine elven silk. She looked at them and frowned; they had left her a long flowing blue dress and slip on shoes. Not that the dress wasn't beautiful, but she wasn't one to wear a dress often, in fact she was one _rarely_ seen in a dress at all.

Sighing and thinking she had better wear it out of respect, she changed and shoved her old clothes into her backpack, making a mental note to change back into them as soon as they left Rivendell.

When she had finished freshening herself she left the room, wondering which way dinner would be, but was immediately distracted by the detail on a column outside her room.

"Excuse me, Miss Parker?"

Hayden jumped out of her trance and looked to see Elladan standing next to her.

"Oh, hello Elladan," she greeted him respectfully.

"I am Elrohir, my lady. Elladan is my brother."

"I'm sorry, you look so much alike," she said, and he sighed. It was amazing how identical their features were, even though they were not twins.

"If you would follow me to dinner," Elrohir said and held out his arm to her, leading her down the hall towards the sounds of soft music.

"Oh, wow," Hayden gasped.

They had walked out onto a very large balcony with a spectacular view of the river. There was a long table set out that the Company was already seated around, and the dwarves were looking distastefully at the plate of green salad they had been given.

Thanking Elrohir, she left him and walked to the table, noticing a spare seat next to Thorin that had been deliberately left empty. She walked fast out to her seat, giving Thorin's shoulder a squeeze as she sat down next to him.

Thorin's initial relief to see her quickly disappeared when he saw the elven clothes she wore, but apparently he had also noticed that she wasn't too comfortable in them, because he began to smirk. She glared at Thorin as she took her seat in between him and Kili, daring him to make a comment.

"Nice clothes, Hayden," Fili smirked from his seat across from Kili.

"Shut it," she snapped, elbowing Kili hard in the ribs as he began laughing also.

"I hope you found your quarters to your liking, my lady?" Elrond asked her, who was seated at the head of the table, with Gandalf and Thorin on either side of him.

"Oh, um, yes they're lovely, thank you," she said nervously, having to remind herself often to talk less 21st century-ish.

"It has been a long time since Rivendell has hosted for dwarves," Elrond observed thoughtfully.

At this, something clicked in Hayden's mind and she blurted out a single word before anyone could reply to Elrond's statement.

"Rivendell!" she gasped, swatting Thorin's arm unconsciously with her hand. Her sudden outburst gained the attention of the entire table.

"Well it's nice to see she knows her geography," Fili observed.

"Is everything alright, Hayden?" Bilbo asked her curiously, who was seated directly across from her.

"I'm sorry for interrupting Lord Elrond," she quickly apologized, and turned to grin at Fili.

"What?" Fili asked her suspiciously.

"I guessed Rivendell, didn't I?" she stated, grinning even wider.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Fili groaned, laying his head in his hands.

The dwarves all had similar reactions to Fili, groaning and complaining to one another.

"She must have cheated somehow," Kili moaned, "This isn't fair."

"Ah, but you're the one who included me in it, so I won fair and square," she said happily.

Reluctantly, the dwarves began to pass their packs of money up the table to where Hayden sat.

"Oh no, give it to Thorin," she told Fili quickly with a smile, who shrugged and passed the money to his uncle.

"Am I missing something?" Gandalf asked curiously.

"They took bets as to where in Middle Earth we would be transported to," Bilbo explained.

"Ah, but of course," Gandalf nodded, "And Hayden bested all of you?"

"So it would seem," Thorin said, staring at Hayden in disbelief.

"A little _too_ unbelievable for my liking," Fili scowled at her.

"Just so you know, I will _never_ let this go," she smirked and laughed happily.

Fili and Kili both grumbled miserably, which considerably lightened her mood even more, and she grinned at Gandalf and Bilbo, both of who were staring at her in wonder.

"You are unbelievable," Thorin muttered to her, "Why do I have the feeling you knew all along?"

"I didn't," she said quickly, "But I told you I had a feeling."

"I am not complaining," he smirked, gesturing to the large pile of money in front of him, "We should invest in more bets; we would make an unbeatable team."

"Yeah right," she scoffed, "Your money and my brains?"

"It's not a bad combination," he shrugged, smiling.

"No it's not," she returned the smile, and underneath the table she felt him take her hand in his and rest it on her leg.

* * *

"She is a very intelligent young woman," Elrond observed once dinner had finished.

The only three left at the table were Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin, while the rest of the Company and Hayden could be seen relaxing on the grass below the raised courtyard.

"I am aware," Thorin nodded stiffly, and reluctantly added a smile after Gandalf shot him a glare.

"More so than any mortal ever to come by our world. It is rather intriguing, her personality," Elrond said, looking at both Gandalf and Thorin, "She holds more knowledge than the eldest of our kind, yet she has humour and certain mannerisms that mimic that of the dwarves."

"Yes, that is Hayden," Gandalf chuckled, "She is quite unique, if I may say. And most unlike the women you will find in the world today."

"So I see," Elrond nodded thoughtfully.

"How is it you know such a great deal about Hayden?" Thorin asked, suspicious of the fact Elrond knew so much about Hayden's personality when they had only just arrived in Middle Earth.

"We elves are rather well versed in reading the behaviour and nature of others," Elrond said, with a slight air of arrogance, "I do wonder whether your journey will be safe for such a beautiful young lady… should she need somewhere to stay, she is more than welcome to-"

"Hayden will stay by my side through our journey," Thorin snapped, "Her safety is my responsibility and I shall die before any harm comes to her."

Elrond bowed his head and a small smirk formed on his ageless face, as if this was the exact reaction he had been hoping for.

Ignoring Gandalf's stares, Thorin turned absentmindedly to watch Hayden, who was sitting on the grass talking and laughing with Fili and Kili.

"Your nephews seem to be rather fond of her," Elrond observed.

"They are yes. They've grown quite attached to each other," Thorin replied, the bite in his voice disappearing as he watched Hayden.

"Though, it would seem they are not the only dwarves who have become attached to her," Elrond smirked.

Thorin didn't reply, still gazing distractedly at Hayden.

"She will play a very significant part in your journey, Thorin Oakenshield. Keep her close," Elrond said meaningfully, and Thorin bowed his head respectfully, wondering what he could possibly mean by that.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 22 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	23. Chapter 22 - The Lady of Lórien

**CHAPTER 22 - THE LADY OF LÓRIEN**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"Our business is no concern of the Elves," Thorin said defiantly, after Gandalf had asked him to recount the events of their past journey.

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves," Gandalf sighed, turning an apologetic head towards Lord Elrond.

They stood on in a high arched chamber with moonlight shining through the ceiling. Thorin, Balin and Bilbo were standing near the wall looking at Elrond and Gandalf, while Hayden stood out of the way leaning on one of the posts. She didn't really know why she was there, but Elrond had insisted she attend the meeting.

Giving up on Thorin, Gandalf had begun to tell the tale himself, beginning from their meeting in the Shire and ending with their leaving Hayden's world and landing in Rivendell.

"I see… and you are quite certain a dark necromancer is behind it all?" Elrond asked.

"There is no other explanation. The Greenwood is being possessed with dark magic. Only that could have conjured a power strong enough to send us to a different world."

Elrond nodded, thinking over what Gandalf had said.

"And your proof is-?"

"Radagast, the Brown. We believe he may have found a relic of Mordor on his search to find the source of the dark magic in Dol Guldur."

Elrond nodded thoughtfully, "You understand of course, that it is hard to be sure of this without the proper evidence. However, I shall send for Radagast at dawn."

Gandalf nodded, looking pleased with his progress.

"Onto more pressing matters," Elrond said heavily, "How do you plan on entering the Lonely Mountain without disturbing the dragon?"

Hayden saw Thorin's eyes narrow and he made to snap at Elrond, but Gandalf was quick to reply first.

"We have a map, created by none other than Thror himself. It contains hidden runes that will lead us to a secret entrance into the Mountain," Gandalf said confidently.

"Indeed? And how did you come across these _hidden runes_?"

"Well, naturally I would have come to you Lord Elrond, but given our situation… It was most fortunate however, that our own Hayden was able to find and translate the runes for us."

Elrond raised his eyebrows and looked at Hayden curiously, who pointedly looked away from the elf.

Not moving his gaze from her he said, "May I look at this map?"

Thorin faltered for a moment, looking from Elrond to Hayden, then took the map from his pocket and passed it to Elrond.

The elf looked down at the map attentively and held it at different angles in the light of the moon.

"_Cirth Ithil_," Elrond said, still examining the map.

"Moon runes," Gandalf translated.

"And how does a mortal know the Ancient Dwarf language?" Elrond asked, looking up from the map to Hayden once again.

She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze but Gandalf nodded encouragingly for her to answer.

"I taught myself," she said simply, "I have a copy of that map with the Runes clearly visible on it."

"How did you come by it? I would not have assumed it was a common artifact."

"Uh… it's a _long_ story," she shrugged, she didn't want everyone here to know that they were technically supposed to be fictional characters in a fantasy novel.

"It seems, if it possible, you are more intelligent than I thought, my lady," Elrond said, bowing his head slightly to her, then turning his attention back to Gandalf.

"Your plans to take back the Lonely Mountain have not gone undetected."

Gandalf looked at Elrond, taken aback, and an expression of foreboding spread over the old wizard's face.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth."

* * *

After Gandalf and Lord Elrond had excused themselves from the chamber, the four left stood silent, lost in thought. Hayden couldn't see what progress they had made in this meeting, but maybe Gandalf would figure something out while he was gone.

Thorin and Balin were still deep in discussion, so Hayden slipped out of the chamber, gesturing for Bilbo to follow her.

"I did not follow _anything_ they said," said Bilbo, shaking his head anxiously.

"Well, I can tell you that they didn't seem to make much progress," she smiled.

"Mmm," Bilbo hummed thoughtfully, "On another note, the elves seem to be very taken by you."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"I overheard Lord Elrond talking to Gandalf and Thorin after dinner, and he mentioned you a lot. He said something about how you had the knowledge of a heap of old elves yet a very good sense of humour, which apparently he finds odd."

"Oh… I suppose that's a compliment?" she asked him, but he shrugged.

"They all talk in riddles, if you ask me."

She laughed and they continued to walk to where the dwarves were camping out.

Hayden felt much more comfortable sitting with the dwarves eating and laughing around the fire, and she planned on staying with them until it was time to rest.

Around half an hour later Thorin and Balin still hadn't returned and Hayden was beginning to worry, when an elf approached the dwarves campfire. They all went silent and they eyed the elf suspiciously – it was Lord Elrond.

"I am sorry for interrupting. I wonder if Miss Parker would accompany me?" he asked kindly, and all eyes turned to Hayden.

She raised her eyebrows but stood up and went to Elrond.

"I have someone who wishes to meet you," he said, and he offered her his arm just like his sons had and she took it.

As they made their way down the steps they passed Thorin and Balin. Thorin stopped immediately and looked from Hayden to Elrond with growing suspicion, but Hayden quickly caught his eye and subtly shook her head. Thorin hesitated for a moment, then nodded back to her and continued up to the dwarf camp.

"Master Thorin is rather taken by you," Elrond stated quietly as they turned away from the moonlit chamber and down a new path.

"You think so?" she asked, trying hard to keep her voice emotionless.

"Very much. Am I right in saying you are already involved with one another?"

Hayden was a bit taken aback at this, but she nodded nevertheless.

"A shame... You would have assimilated well in Rivendell."

"Thank you…" _I think? _What else could she say to that? "But I do intend to visit all of Middle Earth."

"And where did you have in mind?"

"Oh, there's too many to list… the Shire of course, and Erebor, the Mines of Moria, Gondor, Rohan, Lothlórien…"

Elrond smirked slightly as he listened to her, "You seem to have it planned out."

"No not really. But I have been dreaming of coming here since I first- well since I first discovered it. I don't plan on living out my days doing nothing."

Elrond smiled and bowed his head, "Here we are…"

They had arrived on another balcony with a breathtaking view, the shine of the moonlight creating shimmering shadows on the stone floor. Gandalf stood at the bottom of two steps smiling at Hayden and gestured for her to come forward.

"Did _you _want to see me?" she whispered to Gandalf, in growing confusion.

"No, not me…" he turned to look onto the edge of the balcony and Hayden's breathe caught in her throat.

"Oh…"

It was none other than Lady Galadriel.

The elf stood on the edge of the balcony bathed in the light of the moon. She wore a long flowing white dress that spread out along the floor and her wavy blonde hair fell along her shoulders, topped with a beautifully intricate circlet.

"Hayden, may I introduce you to the Lady of Lórien," Gandalf said as he led Hayden up the stairs towards Galadriel.

"So this is the mortal?" Galadriel's soft voice filled the room and she smiled down at Hayden.

Hayden wasn't sure how to respond. She felt rather dirty standing next to the glowing elegant figure of Galadriel.

Gandalf nodded, staying protectively close to Hayden.

_"How did you come by this world, child?"_ Galadriel's voice appeared in her mind as their eyes met, and Hayden felt the need not to reply. It was as if the elf was reading her thoughts and memories just through her eyes.

_"You came to accompany Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror?"_

Hayden nodded.

_"It is most strange for a dwarf to become involved with a mortal... particularly one of Thorin's birthright... though his choice is not unwise…"_

Hayden was unsure whether that was a compliment or not, so she just continued to smile while Galadriel talked.

_"I see all you know of our world's future… the young Baggins and the One Ring… I will admit even I could not have predicted what is to happen…_

_"You do not know, child, how important you are to the events of Thorin Oakenshield's company. Nor do you realise the effect you will have on the future of Middle Earth..._

_"You are a courageous young lady, Hayden Parker. I can sense the power you hold even now as we speak… and when the time comes when Thorin needs you most of all, do not let your strength fail you."_

And with that, Galadriel smiled gracefully and turned away from Hayden, leaving her extremely baffled.

Hayden turned around to Gandalf with a weird expression on her face. She shook her head at him and mouthed silently, "What was that about?"

The wizard shrugged and gestured for her to leave, which she did gladly, smiling at Elrond as she left the room and feeling his gaze on her as she walked away.

* * *

As Hayden made her way back to where the dwarves were set up she thought of what Galadriel had said to her, trying to make sense of it. It was the last sentence in particular that she held onto: _when the time comes when Thorin needs you most of all, do not let your strength fail you…_

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ She thought to herself, shaking her head, _I always knew elves talked in riddles but that is bordering on ridiculous._

Hayden began walking up a steep hill, and when she reached the courtyard where the dwarves had been eating and laughing she found them already sleeping peacefully in a huge huddle.

Smiling to herself, she left them sleeping to try and find her way back to her room.

It was simple enough to find – as intricate as the designs were the layout of the building was pretty basic, and Hayden found her room within a few minutes.

It was oddly quiet and serene without the noises of cars or music echoing from outside, and it unnerved Hayden. She was beginning to feel nervous on spending her first night away from England.

Trying to stay calm, she quickly undressed and slipped on a robe that was hanging on the bathroom door. That was definitely the last time she wore elven clothes. As soft as they were, they were rather uncomfortable and showed a little too much of her figure than she usually would.

Planning on taking a very long bath, she opened the door to the bathroom and gasped.

"Oh my god," she huffed, "Thorin!"

Thorin was sitting in the bathtub and looked up in shock when she entered.

"Hayden?" he frowned, "When I said 'the right time' I did not mean in an elvish bathroom."

"What are you doing in here?" she scoffed, looking pointedly away from him, "This is _my _room."

"No, this is _our_ room," he smirked, "Apparently the elves guessed we were involved so they assumed we would share a bedroom."

"Well that was forward of them," she frowned, still not looking at him, "Are you going to be much longer then? I kind of need a bath."

"Why waste water when you could join me?"

She jerked her head back towards him and narrowed her eyes, "Oh that's easy for you to say Mr. We're-waiting-for-the-right-time-but-come-take-a-n aked-bath-with-me."

"Nothing has to happen, Hayden," he said, rising a little out of the water and tensing his muscles, "Well, nothing much."

She was momentarily distracted by his bare upper half and cleared her throat quickly, "No, I think I'll just wait for my own turn. God knows the temptation will be _all too much_," she added dramatically.

"You could at least keep me company," he called out to her as she turned to leave.

"Fine," she sighed, walking back over to sit on the edge of the bath and looking anywhere but at the water, "I thought dwarves were weird. But elves… they take it to a whole knew level."

"Like I've always said," he shrugged, "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing, just little things," she began to explain, "Like when Elrond was leading me to the courtyard, he asked if you and I were involved, and when I told him we were he said: 'A shame, you would have assimilated well in Rivendell.'"

Thorin grunted, as if he were expecting this.

"Of course they would think a woman such as yourself to be with a more _sophisticated_ race," Thorin snarled at the water.

"Dwarves can be sophisticated," she said uncertainly, and Thorin stared disbelievingly at her, "They just choose not to be."

Thorin chuckled and considered her, "You were fast to change out of the elven clothes."

"Not exactly my style," she shrugged, and uncomfortably adjusted the robe she wore.

"I knew I loved you for a reason," he smiled approvingly.

"Nice to know that my disliking for elven clothes is the reason," she smirked at him, beginning to absentmindedly swirl her fingertips in the water, "I met Lady Galadriel."

"Really?" Thorin asked, sitting up more in interest, "What did she say?"

"At first she told me it was strange you had become involved with me, which was a real confidence booster," she explained, and Thorin chuckled at her sarcasm, "She also said that I had a big part to play in your life, and the future of the Company and Middle Earth."

"One does not have to be an elf lord to know how important you are," Thorin grunted.

"Still it was strange…" her voice trailing off as she thought, "Listen are you going to be any longer? It doesn't seem like you're having much of a bath."

"Can I not simply relax in peace, woman?" he growled at her.

"_Don't_ call me that," she growled back, "And I have as much right to this bath as you do."

"It's not as if I did not offer for you to join me," he added smartly.

"And what good would that have done for either of us?"

"I think it would have done a lot of good, for me anyway…"

"You're impossible," she huffed.

Thorin growled, "I am done. You can have your bath."

Before she could look away he stood up, revealing _everything_ the dwarf King had to offer.

"Thorin! You could have given me some warning," she gasped, blushing and turning quickly away from him, but not before she got a good eyeful.

He took his time drying himself, which she knew was on purpose, and when he had wrapped a towel around his waist he approached where she sat, leaning down and putting his hands on her thighs.

"Why would I give you warning when you are welcome to see?" he said in a soft whisper.

Hayden tried to keep eye contact with him but found it extremely hard with his bare arms and chest right in front of her.

"I- I need time to, uh, to prepare myself," she finished sheepishly.

"Prepare yourself?" Thorin almost laughed.

"It's not everyday you get to see a naked dwarf," she smirked.

"But it could be," he smirked back, leaning in and kissing the corners of her mouth and once again on her lips, purposely lingering.

He left the bathroom after that, leaving behind a flustered Hayden, who growled in frustration at his "freaking sexiness."

* * *

"I need to know your secret," Hayden told Thorin, exiting the bathroom fully dressed and ringing her hair with a towel.

"And what secret might that be?" Thorin asked her from where he sat on the bed.

"How you deal with your hair," she said, flipping her hair back in frustration, "How did you manage to dry it so fast?"

If there was one thing Hayden hated it was having wet or damp hair, or being wet all together. As soon as she knew she was going to Middle Earth she knew she would struggle without her beloved hair dryer. After all, her hair was quite thick and long, and it did not simply dry in a few minutes, unlike Thorin's seemed to have done.

"We dwarves have naturally fast drying hair," he shrugged, "We cannot be fighting battles or working with damp hair."

"Huh, then consider yourself lucky you don't have to deal with this," she sighed; her hair would truly be the death of her.

"Come," he beckoned her over to the bed, "This may help."

She jumped onto the bed, but he signaled for her to turn her back towards him.

"What exactly are you going to do?" she asked, spinning around to face away from him.

"Must you always be so suspicious?" he replied, and she felt his fingers begin to weave through her hair.

"I learnt from the best," she smirked, and he gave a grumble in reply.

Hayden had no idea what he was doing with her hair, but it felt glorious. How his hands caressed her hair and flowed through it with ease, ever so slightly touching her neck at times and making her shiver. It was all she could do not to moan in delight.

"It was my mother who taught me to braid," Thorin said after a few moments had passed in silence.

Hayden smiled; she had never found any information about his mother, but she was gladder of the fact he was opening up without her having to encourage him.

"Is that a tradition with dwarves?" she asked curiously.

"No," he sighed, "But when ones father is heir to the throne there are some things a mother must do in his steed."

"Oh, right," was all she could manage, "What was she like, your mother? If you don't mind me asking."

"It's alright," she heard him smile, "I do not remember her, though I do know she was very beautiful – and that my sister looked very much like her."

"What happened to her?" she asked, wondering whether she was pushing her luck with these questions.

"She died giving birth to Dís when I was fourteen," he said heavily.

"Oh… well she sounds like she was a wonderful woman," she said, hoping to bring some light back into the conversation.

"She was," he smiled slightly, "And what of your mother? If you don't mind _me_ asking."

Hayden sighed; she should've known that was coming.

"I don't know anything about her... there was really no one around me growing up who knew her," she said softly, "I know that she was an architect though."

Thorin smiled, "Like mother like daughter... and your father?"

"He was in the army," she said simply.

Thorin leant closer in interest, "Army? You means he fought in wars?"

"I assume so," she shrugged, "His death certificate said he was in the British Navy... Lieutenant-General Robert Parker his name was."

"It sounds as if he was a very powerful man," Thorin

"I suppose..." she said and her voice shook slightly. She always felt uncomfortable whenever her parents were mentioned.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine," she replied, a little stiffer than she had meant to, "I mean yes, I'm alright."

"You really do not like looking weak, do you?" he asked, after a moment of silence had passed.

Hayden frowned - _that was what he got from what I told him?_

"I don't like people thinking all I do is wallow in self pity," she said proudly, "I want people to think I left this world fighting, not using my past as a foot-hold."

Thorin finally finished the braid and leant forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"_That_ we have in common," he whispered and kissed the side of her neck, "And I love you because of it."

"That's nice to know, most men just get intimidated by it."

"I am not most men."

"I know," she smiled, turning around to face him and kissing him, "And I love _you_ because of it."

He smiled, but instead of continuing with another kiss, as she had been secretly hoping, he considered her for a long moment, his stormy eyes searching her face.

And without saying a word, he pulled over his head the gold chain from around his neck that held Thror's key. He then leant forward and gently put it over Hayden's head, so that the key now hung around her neck, easily concealed beneath her shirt.

"Thorin, I-" she stuttered breathlessly, for she knew how much this key meant to their quest – it was a lot of trust and faith to be putting into her, "I- what if something happens, I can't-"

"I trust you with it," he said sincerely, "More than anyone."

"But it's too important, I can't possibly-"

"You will take it," he told her, his voice slightly demanding, "So that everyone in this Kingdom knows that you are mine, and I am yours."

Hayden smiled, for once not feeling like arguing back, and her heart swelled. She leant forward and pressed her lips to his in a deep kiss.

"You are mine, and I am yours," she repeated, looking down at the key that was crucial to their quest's success, and which was now in her hands.

_Shit_.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 23 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	24. Chapter 23 - The Journey Begins

**CHAPTER 23 - THE JOURNEY BEGINS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Thorin woke in a panic.

The first light of the sun was streaming through the thin silk curtains in the early hours of the morning.

He had been having quite a peaceful sleep, something that he was having a lot more often now he knew Hayden was by his side.

But when he had slowly awoken that morning and stretched out his arms, expecting to feel another body next to him, he felt nothing but bed sheets.

His eyes snapped open in alarm and he began to hyperventilate, imagining the worst-case scenario.

Without warning he sat up straight, staring at the empty space where Hayden should have been.

"Thorin? Are you alright?"

The dwarf gave a sigh of relief.

Hayden was sitting on a cushioned chair near the window. It seemed their return back to Middle Earth was having more of an effect on him than he thought. As glad as he was to be home, he knew England had been a great deal amount safer for his Company and Hayden. He knew that this would not be the last of his panic attacks when it came to Hayden's safety.

"I am fine. Bad dream is all," he lied, hoping he sounded convincing enough – he had a hard time lying to Hayden. As soon as he met her he immediately wanted to tell her his deepest secrets that he had hoarded for so long. Maybe it was something about her personality or loving eyes that made him trust her completely.

"Are you sure?" she frowned, "You gasped."

"It's nothing," he waved a hand, signaling for her to drop the subject.

She gave him one last concerned glance then turned back to the window.

He looked over at her curiously. Her legs were crossed over one another on the chair, and she had a sketchbook balanced on one knee, which she was bent low over.

On the armrest next to her were a few pencils and paintbrushes that looked well used, along with paints and other drawing utensils.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

Hayden did not answer at first, apparently finishing what she was drawing, before she looked back up at the window, a crease appearing in her brow that Thorin recognised as one she always had whenever she was concentrating.

"Drawing," she stated simply, returning back to her paper after a long hard look at the window.

"The window?"

"The sunrise," she corrected him, still concentrating hard on her drawing.

"Did they not have sunrises in England?" he asked with a smirk.

"I can't remember, it's been _so_ long," she said dramatically, "Seeing as there are no cameras here to take pictures, I'm drawing it."

"For any particular reason?"

"I wanted to remember my first sunrise in Middle Earth," she muttered, looking back out the window and narrowing her eyes.

Thorin smiled and slipped out of bed, walking over to where she sat and looking over her shoulder to her work.

It was beautiful already, even if it wasn't quite finished. She used the pencils for a light outline, and then covered them in water-based paints, which were skillfully blended together to show the details of each colour in the sky.

If ever there had been a doubt in Thorin's mind of his love for Hayden Parker, it disappeared completely in that moment.

* * *

"We're _leaving_? But we've only been here a few hours!" Hayden protested over breakfast. She was hoping to see more of Rivendell before they began their journey.

"We've been here more than a few hours," Fili told her through a mouthful of food, "Or at least it seems like it."

"We must begin the journey to Erebor, we are already behind," Thorin said stiffly. But she wasn't buying it. She knew he just wanted to get away from the elves as soon as possible, and she couldn't see why – they had been absolutely lovely to the entire Company ever since their unexpected arrival.

"Fine," she sighed, begrudgingly taking a bite out of her salad, which was apparently all elves ate, "What are we doing with my bags, then?"

"Gandalf has organised it with Elrond," Thorin said, "They will be kept here until we can return for them."

"Oh, does that mean we have to come back here after Erebor?" Kili whined loudly, earning him reprimanding glares from the entire Company.

"When are we leaving?" Hayden asked.

"Immediately after breakfast," Thorin explained, "We make for the High Pass in the Misty Mountains, which is a good three days journey from here on foot."

"And Gandalf?"

"He will be meeting us in the Mountains, if all goes well."

_If all goes well…_ Hayden had inwardly been dreading that statement, and she crossed her fingers under the table, hoping against hope that nothing too drastic had changed.

* * *

"My friends," Elrond greeted them.

The Company was huddled together in a group on the same platform they landed on when they had first returned to Middle Earth.

Hayden nudged Thorin in the shoulder, gesturing for him to say something back. She knew very well he disliked them, but it was only polite for him to thank the elves for their hospitality.

Thorin scowled at her, but nonetheless stepped forward, bowing his head to Elrond.

"We thank you for your hospitality, Lord Elrond," he said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "It was much appreciated."

"I accept your thanks with many welcomes, Thorin Oakenshield," Elrond bowed back, "It is a long journey, the road you must take, and my kin have gifts they would offer you in your aid."

The dwarves frowned between one another, but before they could question, fourteen elves came striding out holding the reins of fourteen magnificent ponies.

The ponies trotted out with an elegance that no breed of horse should have possessed, with long flowing manes and shining coats, which only proved the fact they had been bred by elves.

"We cannot possibly-" Thorin began, but Elrond held up a gentle hand to stop him.

"These are the finest bred ponies in all the lands," Elrond said proudly, "Take them as a gift of well-wishing, from one race to another."

Thorin actually managed a small smile as he was handed the reins of his pony, which was a striking black with a silver mane.

"You may take them until the High Pass, where I must insist they are returned to Rivendell – the Mountains are no place for ponies," Elrond continued, watching pleasantly as the dwarves and Bilbo admired the ponies they had been given.

The only person who was not admiring the animals was Hayden, who had stepped cautiously away from where the ponies stood.

"Does something trouble you, my lady?" Elrond asked, approaching her.

"No- no I'm fine, it's a lovely gesture, I just-" she smiled as kindly as she could and eyed Thorin's pony wearily as it neighed and clapped its hooves on the ground.

"You do not like the horses?" Elrond asked her, with a small smirk.

"They're very beautiful," she said slowly, "But I'm afraid I'll always be more of a house-pet kind of girl."

"Wait, wait!" Kili cried excitedly, who had been watching Hayden carefully, "Is Hayden Parker afraid of horses?"

"Not _afraid_," she said indignantly, blushing a little when she noticed Elrond was still gazing interestedly at her, "I'm just not a _huge_ fan of them…"

"Oh, ok," Fili shrugged, "So if I did this-"

Fili strode forward towards her with his horse and she took a quick step back, evening out the space between them.

Fili and Kili laughed hysterically, almost crying from the effort.

"I can't believe this!" Kili said in between fits of laughter.

"It's too good to be true," Fili said, wiping a tear from his face.

"I told you, I'm not afraid," Hayden said stubbornly, crossing her arms and glaring at the two dwarves.

"Oh really?" Fili grinned, and he strode forward once again, this time so that the pony was less than a meter away from Hayden.

She shrieked and ran around Elrond, who was still looking on in amusement, and to the edge of the platform, which was as far away from the horse as she could get.

"So, shall we revise what you just said?" Fili offered, "Or do we need more proof?"

He threatened another step forward but she held out her hands.

"No! No, okay! I'm scared of horses," she admitted in defeat, and began to explain before they could begin laughing again, "But it's only because the orphanage used to have a pet pony and it used to bite me all the time! It was a horrible animal…"

"Orphanage?" Elrond asked curiously.

"Yes, orphanage," she said, a little more stiffly than she had meant to. She was getting sick of whenever she mentioned the orphanage people repeating it out of pure shock.

The young dwarves stared incredulously at her for a few moments in silence, and for one stupid moment Hayden actually thought they might comfort her. But, it wasn't meant to be and they snorted with laughter even louder than they had before.

Hayden crossed her arms once again and glared at them, growling deep in her throat.

"Do not worry, my lady," Elrond smiled to her, "These ponies will do no such thing."

"Are you sure of that?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Quite," the elf nodded confidently, "Perhaps it is for a good reason we were one pony short."

"Oh! Parker, I would be more than happy for you to ride with me," Kili said sweetly.

"No, Hayden will ride with me, everyone knows she likes me better," Fili added.

"Over my dead body she will ride with you idiots," Thorin growled at them, taking Hayden's hand.

Before she was led away by Thorin, she had one last chance to throw Fili and Kili a rude hand sign, which they were quick to return with mocking expressions.

Lord Elrond was most unfortunate to have noticed these gestures being exchanged, and he was rather surprised that a young girl knew of such signs.

"Dwarves…" he muttered in exasperation, but he was feeling more amused than he had been in a long time.

* * *

"I will walk, really, I'll be able to keep up," Hayden said to Thorin, her voice pleading a little.

Thorin had already mounted the black pony, and was waiting for Hayden to get on behind him, like he had showed her, but she was still putting up a fight.

"You are not walking," Thorin said defiantly, "You will ride with me and I promise I will not let you fall."

"But what if-"

"No 'ifs' Hayden Parker, now get on the horse."

"Thorin, I-"

This time it wasn't Thorin who interrupted her. Noticing Thorin's trouble of convincing the lass, Dwalin grabbed Hayden and hoisted her onto the pony, whether she wanted it or not.

Hayden squealed uncomfortably, causing all the dwarves to stare at her – it was the most like a girl they had ever seen Hayden act like.

"Thank you, Dwalin," she growled down at him.

"Anytime, lass," he smirked and returned to his own pony.

"Hold on," Thorin told her, when all the dwarves had mounted their ponies, ready for the journey ahead. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, feeling a little nervous that they were so close and seated in such an awkward position.

"Thank you again for your hospitality and gifts," Thorin said to Elrond, "It shall not be forgotten."

Elrond smiled and bowed his head, then turning his attention to Hayden.

"I hope we have the pleasure of meeting again, my lady," Elrond smiled at her.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," she returned his smile genuinely, "If there's anything I can do in return for your generosity."

Elrond waved a hand, and then stopped to smirk, "Perhaps one favour?"

"Yes?" Hayden asked a little taken aback, she had not been expecting him to cash in her favour straight away.

"When the time comes, an invite to Thorin and yours wedding," the elf smirked, then bowed low once again and bid them all goodbye.

Hayden stared open mouthed at Elrond's retreating back, and apparently Thorin was doing the same, because he had not moved, while the rest of the Company were already making their way across the bridge.

What broke them out of their stupor was the sound of two dwarves chuckling on their horses behind them.

Hayden narrowed her eyes and spun around, as quickly and as far as she dared to face Fili and Kili with a death stare.

"How the _hell_ did you get _Lord Elrond_ in on your joke?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Let's just say we made him an offer he couldn't refuse," Fili smirked, and she saw him slip a money pack to one of the elves apart of Elrond's guard.

"You two are unbelievable!" she gasped, "You went that far to continue this?"

"We made a vow," Fili nodded excitedly, then placed his hand over his chest and raised his voice dramatically, "We, Fili and Kili, sons of Dís, shall not rest until the whole of Middle Earth are in on this joke!"

With that, Fili rode off dramatically after the rest of the Company.

"And it shall never end," Kili said equally as dramatic, "At least not until you _do_ wed."

After Kili had rode off Thorin and Hayden stared after them in a stunned silence.

"They're never going to let this go are they?" Hayden said quietly.

"Never," Thorin sighed, sounding as exasperated as she felt.

"Well at least we know one good thing that will come from it," she said and smirked, "They'll be broke by the time this journey's over."

Thorin laughed out loud and nudged the pony forward in a fast gallop to catch up with the Company.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 24 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	25. Chapter 24 - The Misty Mountains

**CHAPTER 24 - THE MISTY MOUNTAINS**

**Here is the first chapter with some action and adventure! I am staying as faithful to the book as I can but you never know... it _is_ a very _unexpected_ journey... **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

As soon as they had stepped into the Wild Hayden immediately noticed a change in the dwarves she had grown to know and love. They were no longer lighthearted and merry, but looked constantly worried and on their guard. Even Fili and Kili were not cracking their usual jokes or pranks, which was most disconcerting for Hayden.

Thorin and Hayden rode at the front of the group, which had now spread out over a few metres.

No one talked much as they rode onwards for what felt like a lifetime, only stopping a few minutes at a time to give the ponies a rest and have a small bite to eat.

If she had been anywhere else Hayden would have been bored out of her mind. But being the land of her dreams, she spent the day looking in awe at the lands that surrounded her: the beautiful vast paddocks of grass and the rocky terrains that England had so lacked.

Besides the fact that the scenery was utterly breathtaking, she tried to use it as a distraction that she was pushed up so close against Thorin. Yet another reason why she disliked horse riding was the movement one tended to make while on one, and it wasn't making her situation any easier.

It was hard enough to resist the dwarf as it was, but with being so close to him and subconsciously feeling the movement of his chest and thighs, she felt close to exploding from sexual frustration.

At midday, after they had stopped for another short rest, Hayden reluctantly swapped to riding with Kili, as it was not fair if one pony had to bear the weight of two passengers for the entire trip.

What made Hayden so reluctant in riding behind the young dwarf was the fact that Fili and Kili had not stopped teasing her for her fear of horses the entire day – _and_ that she would not be so close to Thorin anymore.

But she was surprised however just how comfortable she was with Kili. She felt no awkwardness at all when she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on for dear life. After all, he was more like the annoying little brother she never had, despite the fact he was about 50 years older than her.

Now she didn't have Thorin's body to entertain her, she spent the time teaching Fili and Kili how to play eye-spy – because who's kidding? Everyone loves this game during long car rides no matter how old you are.

"Eye-spy with my little eye, something beginning with… H," Hayden said in a sign-song voice.

"Hmm…" the two dwarves thought it over.

"Hair?"

"Nope."

"Hide?"

"What?"

"Hide," Fili grinned, "As in ass."

"Definitely not."

"Land!"

"Kili, that begins with an L."

"Oh, right."

They thought it over for even longer, there faces scrunched in concentration.

"Give up?" Hayden asked them in triumph.

"Never!"

"Hooves," Thorin said from in front of them, his face showing no emotion.

Hayden stared at him and smiled.

"That's not fair, he wasn't playing," Kili growled.

"He guessed it right though, so it counts," Hayden grinned.

Fili and Kili continued to mumble in anger that they had been cheated, and Thorin turned around on his pony to grin and wink at Hayden, before continuing on to the front of the group.

Hayden laughed out loud and shook her head in disbelief.

"If it had been anyone else who had guessed that you would have called it cheating too," Kili mumbled to her.

Hayden smirked at him but didn't say a word, and for that Kili nudged the pony in the side, causing it to rear up on its hind legs and give Hayden a heart attack.

"Kili! You asshole!" she gasped, clutching him tighter, "Don't-do-that!"

"That's what you get for cheating," he grinned.

"What's that you got there, Hayden?" Fili asked when she had calmed down, nodding towards her chest.

Frowning, she looked to where Fili was gesturing and saw that Thror's key had slipped over her top while the pony had reared and had become visible.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said quickly, hiding the key beneath her shirt again.

"The key?" Kili asked, turning around to look before Hayden could cover it in time.

Hayden pretended to be too distracted by a lose threads on her pants to answer.

"He gave you Thror's key?"" Fili asked in an un-characteristically hushed voice.

"Maybe," Hayden mumbled, still not making eye contact with them.

"Do you know what that means?" Fili continued in a serious tone, which worried her.

"What?" she frowned, finally looking up.

"When dwarves, uh, well when dwarves _court_ we do not do it in ways you may be aware of," Fili explained.

"Go on…"

"When we find our right partner, soul mate, whatever you want to call it, we present them an offering," he continued.

"How romantic," Hayden scoffed.

"It can be! It has to be done while the pair are alone," he said, lowering his voice even further, "And then the dwarf will offer something to their chosen partner."

"Just anything?"

"No, not just anything," Fili frowned, "Something that is worth a great deal to them, that has a significance in their life."

"Oh…" Hayden said slowly, finally understanding where Fili was going with this, "And what exactly does it mean – this 'offering'?"

"It's got some corny meaning," Kili shrugged, who not surprisingly had not caught on to the direction of the conversation, "Something like: in offering them this gift they are offering you their heart or their life, something rather."

Hayden's mouth dropped, "Is he serious?" she asked Fili, who nodded, "So you think-?"

Fili nodded once again, "I think _that_ was Thorin's offering to you."

Hayden bit her lip, unsure of what to make of this, "But what if it's not that? What if he just meant it as… oh, I don't know…"

"Hayden, he gave you the key to the _Hidden Mountain Pass_, which is crucial to our quest," Fili said, "It's hardly a gesture to be taken lightly."

"Oh!" Kili gasped, apparently a light bulb finally clicking in his head as to what they were talking about and Hayden and Fili rolled their eyes, "So he _is_ going to marry her-!"

"Shh!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, sorry."

While Fili smacked his brother hard on the back of the head for his stupidity, Hayden thought about what they had told her.

She had just figured Thorin giving her the key had been some sort of a romantic gesture, not a traditional dwarf _courting_ custom. She knew she couldn't possibly talk to him about it – what if Fili and Kili were wrong and it didn't mean what they thought it did?

But still, she couldn't help but feel a little joy at the fact that Thorin Oakenshield had offered her his heart, which was strange for her. She would have thought receiving this offering would have freaked her out. But it didn't… she found the idea of being tied to Thorin, in the symbolic sense, extremely pleasing, and for the first time she actually imagined what her future might be like with him and she unconsciously smiled at the thought.

"Oh, look Kili," Fili grinned at his brother, nodding towards Hayden, "She's actually considering it."

"What-?" Hayden was brutally snapped out of her reverie, "No! No I wasn't-"

"Haha!" Kili laughed brightly, "You are aren't you? You're considering what it would be like to be married to Thorin?"

_I swear to God sometimes it's like they read my mind_, she thought bitterly.

Hayden tried to think of a witty retort or a sarcastic comment to throw at them, but for some reason her brain just wasn't generating them as fast as it usually would.

What was even more disconcerting was the fact that they didn't laugh or continue to tease her. The young dwarves were looking at Hayden with a consideration she had never seen them have before. It was as if they were almost glad Hayden was thinking of a future with Thorin, like they actually cared about it…

"What are you two doing to her now?" Thorin growled suspiciously, turning his pony around to face them.

"Nothing uncle," Kili smiled sweetly, "Just chatting…"

Thorin looked from Kili and Fili's innocent smiles to where Hayden sat a little too quiet than normal and he huffed disapprovingly.

"Come, Hayden," Thorin said, "You will ride with me now."

Still too deep in thought to argue with his demanding tone, Hayden nodded absentmindedly and slipped off the pony, only stopping on her way to Thorin when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Fili leant down on his pony so that his face was inches from Hayden's and lowered his voice.

"We will not tell a soul," he said sincerely.

"What? Oh, thank you," she smiled, "Though I was expecting a much different reaction from you both."

"Usually we would have taken a different approach," he shrugged, "But our uncle's happiness is one of the rare topics we take seriously – and for him to be happy, he needs you. And we will do anything to see that happen."

"Oh, Fili-" she smiled, beginning to say something sweet, but he cut her off.

"Don't think we've gone soft now," he said quickly, "And don't think our joke oath is off, because that has only just begun."

"Of course not!" she laughed, "I'm looking forward to see who you bribe next."

"You really have no idea," he joined in her laughter.

With a smile on her face, Hayden walked over to where Thorin sat on his pony waiting for her. He held out a hand to help her on, only nudging the pony forward again once she was fully settled on and had wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Is everything alright?" Thorin asked her, noticing Hayden's strange silence, for she was still thinking over what Fili and Kili had said.

"Hmm? Oh, yes fine," she said, flinching when she heard how distracted she sounded.

"It does not sound as if that is the case," he observed, "What did they say to you?"

"It's nothing, honestly," she said, trying to keep her voice casual, "We were just talking."

"That is never a good sign when Fili and Kili are involved," he grumbled, "You are sure nothing is wrong?"

She laughed quietly and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Everything's fine," she sighed, a small smile forming as she felt the cold metal of Thror's key beneath her shirt… _more than fine_.

* * *

It was only until the sky began to darken and rain started to pour down on them heavily did they fully stop – they had reached the edges of the Misty Mountains.

Hayden was surprised that it had only taken them a day to get to their destination, though admittedly the ponies did cut out a lot of time.

Before they went any further, they parted with the ponies, sending them on their way back to Rivendell. And they seemed to know exactly where they were going.

The Company began climbing a steep rocky hill that led to the unsteady edge of a Mountain.

"Hold on!" Thorin called back to them as thunder crashed in the sky above them.

Uncertainly, they followed Thorin onto the Mountain's edge, carefully watching where they stepped.

When it seemed like they were making no progress at all and the rain was now coming down even harder, she heard Thorin's voice, "We must find shelter!"

_Thanks, Captain Obvious_, she thought bitterly.

They kept moving along the edge that was becoming even more unstable and slippery, when Bilbo stood onto a loose edge and slipped. Dwalin quickly grabbed the hobbit and pulled him back up onto the ledge, which Bilbo clung to in shock.

Just as Hayden had let out a sigh of relief, her heart sunk to her stomach. She knew what was to happen next, and she was not looking forward to it at all.

They continued their way across the side of the Mountain, Hayden waiting with growing anticipation to here the warning cry of a dwarf or the sound of a large rock smashing against another – but it never came.

They were able to make their journey over the High Pass without incident and into a dry cave hidden in the crevice of a large rock, which worried Hayden more than the idea of the Storm Giants.

_Why hadn't the Storm Giants attacked? Why had they passed unnoticed through the High Pass?_

This should not have been happening. And Hayden began to feel anxious that her and Gandalf's worst fears were about to come true.

_"So, you see, if Bilbo isn't in Middle Earth to find the Ring, Gollum will never lose it. And when it comes the time when the Ring Wraiths are sent to find the ring, they will find it with Gollum, and Middle Earth will fall to the power of Sauron…"_

What if Bilbo never found the Ring? What if they were too late for the events of _The Hobbit_ to take place…?

"Search to the back, Dwalin," Thorin commanded to the burly dwarf next to him, "Caves in the Mountain are seldom unoccupied."

The dwarves searched all the corners to make sure the cave was safe, and began to settle down when Dwalin had declared it was empty.

"No fires here, we don't want to draw any unwanted guests," Thorin told Nori warningly as the dwarf laid out firewood, "Get some sleep. We are starting at the first light. Bofur, you take the first watch!"

Bofur nodded stiffly at Thorin, but Hayden saw his look of revulsion at the idea of keeping watch while the others slept.

"We will wait here for Gandalf," said Thorin, and then stalked off from the other dwarves.

Rolling her eyes, Hayden took off her backpack and sat down on the ground. She found herself hoping that they were captured by the Goblins, as in the book. At least it would mean their quest was on track and that Middle Earth was not totally doomed.

Her stomach crawled with nervousness as she thought about the creatures that lived in the mountains, but she knew that she could not interfere with anything – and that included warning the Company of the danger they were in.

When Thorin was satisfied that the Company had settled down and that Bofur was on guard, he dodged through the sleeping mounds to where Hayden sat against the wall.

"You should get some sleep," he whispered, sitting down next to her.

"I don't think I will be able to sleep much," she whispered back, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

Thorin took her hand in his and smiled and she sighed, feeling a lot safer with him next to her. She tilted her head up to kiss him, and then rested her head on his shoulder.

Thorin kissed the top of her head and layed his head on hers, still holding her hand in her lap and breathing in the sweet smell of her hair. He was about to drift off to sleep too, when he saw a glowing light appear from across the room.

"What's that?" Bofur's voice echoed from his duty post.

The sound of a sword unsheathing and a bright blue light filled the room, highlighting where Bilbo lay white in the face as he looked down at his glowing sword.

Thorin sat up straight slowly and looked around him. The sand on the floor was beginning to move unnaturally.

"Wake up! Wake up!" he yelled, and felt Hayden jump awake next to him, "Hayden-"

But he was cut off as the floor fell beneath their feet and they dropped through a brightly lit tunnel. Hayden instinctively reached out and grasped Thorin's arm, and she felt him grip her hand as they rolled down a tunnel and landed hard on the ground after a long drop.

Still gripping Thorin's hand tight, she groaned and sat up, looking around in confusion. Next to her, Thorin let out a cry of warning and her heart sunk and she felt close to vomiting in disgust.

Hundreds of hunched Goblins were running towards them, and Hayden found herself thinking that the Company had most certainly been right about Jim Henson's puppet Goblins – they looked _nothing_ like the real thing.

Thorin pulled her quickly towards him but it was too late. She felt the grimy sticky hands of Goblins grab her and lift her up and she was forced to break her grip on Thorin's hand. The dwarves tried their hardest to fight back, and Hayden kicked and clawed and punched as hard as she could, making her way to the back of the group.

"Thorin!" she cried, looking around in panic.

"Hayden!" Thorin's desperate voice bellowed back to her.

Just as the rest of the dwarves were shuffled forward by the Goblins, Hayden heard a cry from behind her. A stray Goblin had begun to attack Bilbo – _that definitely wasn't supposed to be happening, either!_

Dodging past all the Goblins she drew the sword Thorin had given her and launched herself at the Goblin, stabbing it hard in the back.

Bilbo looked up in shock and he sighed in relief when he saw Hayden, but that did not last for long.

The Goblin fell forward limply, pushing Bilbo over the edge with him. Hayden, who was still tightly gripping her sword in the Goblin's back, was also pulled over the edge, and the three fell into the darkness below.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 25 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	26. Chapter 25 - A Game of Riddles

**CHAPTER 25 - A GAME OF RIDDLES**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden woke groggily surrounded by darkness, feeling similar to when she had woken up after her house party only a few days ago. She lifted her head and groaned in pain; her forehead was aching and her body felt like it was bruised all over.

_Now would be a perfect time for twenty-first century medication_, she thought longingly.

From what she could see and feel, she had landed in a patch of over grown mushrooms and leaves – but how had she gotten there?

"Bilbo?" she hissed quietly, looking for some sign of the hobbit, and to her immense relief she heard him groan a few metres away from her. The fact that Bilbo was still alive and that they had fallen into what could only be a cave below the Goblin-town was nothing short of a miracle. Hayden took it as a good sign that maybe Middle Earth wasn't entirely doomed – _yet_, anyway.

"Yes… yes…"

A croaky voice sounded from near Hayden and she turned quickly to look where the noise was coming from, hiding in the thick mushrooms.

"No way…" Hayden muttered in disbelief.

It was Gollum.

The creature had come slinking out of the shadows towards the smell of the dying Goblin and began to drag dragging the Goblin away into his cave. Once Gollum had disappeared she heard Bilbo stand up beside her.

"Are you alright, Hayden?" he asked, helping her up from the ground.

"I'm fine," she nodded, brushing dirt off her clothes.

"Did you hear that- that _thing_?" Bilbo shivered as Gollum's voice echoed around the cave.

"It was Gollum," she explained.

"_Gollum_?" Bilbo gasped, "What on earth is a _Gollum_?"

"Not _what_, _who_," she said, "He used to be a Stoor, but he was driven into madness and ended up living inside caves in the Mountains."

"A Stoor?" Bilbo raised his eyebrows, "You mean like a hobbit?"

"Similar, but I'm sure he doesn't look like one now…"

Bilbo looked disgusted and his eyes darted to where Gollum had disappeared into a pitch-black cave.

"Do we follow it?" Bilbo asked.

Hayden thought for a moment… it was a horrible idea really, but she knew if they didn't follow Gollum Bilbo might never find the Ring… actually he should have found it already, which worried her.

"Yes, let's follow it," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "It might lead us to a way out."

When they entered the dark and damp cave Gollum was nowhere to be seen and that frightened Hayden to death. It was like watching a horror movie, only she was the victim, not the person on the other side of the television yelling: _"Turn back you idiot, he's waiting for you!"_

And right on cue Gollum jumped out in front of them, balancing on the balls of his feet in a primitive position and causing both Hayden and Bilbo to jump out of their skins.

"Blesses and splashes!" Gollum cried, "That's a meaty mouthful!"

Hayden had to stifle laughter when he spoke – it was amazing how alike he was to the movie version of himself, even his actions and the way he talked. And despite the seriousness of the situation, Hayden couldn't help but see some humour in Gollum, which didn't help at all.

Gollum made forward towards them but Bilbo drew his sword and pointed it towards the creature's chest threateningly.

"Stay back," said Bilbo, his voice shaking slightly, "I'm warning you! Don't come any closer!"

Gollum eyed the blade wearily and backed off, "It's got an elvish blades… but it's not an elf's?"

The creature huddled around closer to a rock, "What is it precious? _What is it?_"

"My name is Bilbo Baggins," Bilbo said, raising himself proudly, "I'm a Hobbit, of the Shire."

"We hasn't tried hobbitses before!" Gollum laughed dementedly, "And what is this?"

Gollum looked curiously around Bilbo to see Hayden, who was examining him with a mixture of delight and disgust.

"_Man flesh_?" Gollum whispered, "What is men doing in these parts?"

"I- I'm Hayden Parker," Hayden said as confidently as she could.

"We likes man's, yes we does precious," Gollum nodded, stalking towards Hayden, "Very tasty and _juicy_."

"Stay back!" Bilbo said again, swinging his sword wildly at Gollum and the creature cried loudly.

"We don't want any trouble," Hayden said soothingly, "We just want to know the way out."

"Why?" Gollum sneered, "Is it lost?"

"Yes," Hayden said quietly, trying not to anger the creature, "And we would like to know how to get out."

"Oh! We knows!" Gollum said excitedly, "We knows safe path!"

"Good," Hayden nodded encouragingly, "Can you show us?"

"No!" Gollum snarled, "Shut up!"

"What?" Bilbo frowned.

"Wasn't talking to you!" Gollum snapped, and then his faced turned gentle again, "Yes, we was precious."

"Look, I don't know what your game is, but-"

"_Games_!" Gollum cried in excitement, his face lighting up and he ran forward, "Does it like to play precious? Does it like to play games?"

Bilbo stared blankly and looked at Hayden, who shrugged – it was like being around a bipolar puppy.

"_What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up it goes, and yet never grows_?" Gollum recited happily, and then looked expectantly at Bilbo like a dog waiting for its master to throw a stick.

"The mountain," Bilbo said simply, and Gollum cackled in delight.

"Yes!" the creature laughed, "Oh, let's have another one!"

"No!" the other version of Gollum croaked, "No more riddles! Finish them off!"

Gollum coughed and spluttered violently and turned on Bilbo and Hayden, barring what little teeth he had maliciously.

"No, no," Hayden said calmly, holding out a hand to Gollum, "We want to play. Do you want to play a game, Gollum?"

Gollum stared at Hayden, "It knows our name?"

"I know a lot about you," she said gently, "And I also know you love riddle games."

"Oh, yes!" he cried happily, "We loves to play! Will the hobbitses play with us?"

"I think Bilbo would love to," she smiled and turned expectantly to Bilbo, who nodded when he realised she was buying them more time, "And if we win you show us the way out."

Gollum nodded, "Yes, and if it loses then we gets to eats it!"

Hayden stared blankly and looked at Bilbo, "Um?"

"If Bagginses loses we eats it whole," Gollum said simply.

"It's a deal," Hayden smiled, and held out her hand to Gollum. The creature looked at her hand and frowned, then lifted its foot up into her hand. Hayden shook it politely but as soon as she stepped away she gaged and wiped her hand on her pants in disgust.

"Hayden what on earth are you doing?" Bilbo asked in a hurried whisper, "We need to get out of here!"

"I know, I know," she said, beginning to panic a little, "But it's important we stay here for now – it's hard to explain… just do what I say okay? I promise it'll be alright."

Bilbo stared at her in thought and then sighed and reluctantly nodded.

"Baggins first," Gollum said.

"Alright," Bilbo nodded thinking hard, "_Thirty white horses on a red hill, first they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still._"

Gollum thought hard for a while, then his face lit up, "Teeth!"

Bilbo nodded and Gollum jumped around happily.

"We only have nine!" the creature opened its mouth to reveal blood and decay and Hayden almost choked in disgust.

"Our turn," Gollum said darkly, "Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters."

Bilbo looked around thinking hard for the answer, absentmindedly wandering over to the edge of the dark lake.

"Oh we knows, we knows precious!" Gollum said happily to Hayden, "Shut up!"

"Wind! It's wind!" Bilbo cried, running back over to where Gollum was.

"Very clever hobbitses, very clever," Gollum said, his face turning more menacing by the minute, and Bilbo quickly threw another riddle at him before he attacked.

"_A box without hinges, key or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid._"

This riddle took Gollum quite a while longer to work out than the last. The creature paced up and down the cave, muttering to himself, his face contorting into weird faces.

"The answer is not a kettle boiling over, as you seem to think from the noises you're making," Bilbo said smartly, and Gollum hissed even more.

"Give us a chance precious," Gollum said and then his face broke in triumph, "Eggses! Eggses!"

Bilbo groaned, he really thought that riddle would catch the creature, but apparently it was as smart as he was when it came to riddles.

"For you now," Gollum said slinking closer to Bilbo, "_This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down._"

Bilbo seemed extremely troubled with this, becoming more flustered by the minute as he thought and thought.

"Answer us…"

"Half a moment!" Bilbo cried, a bead of sweat dripping from his curly hair, "I don't know this one…"

"Is it tasty?" Gollum slinked even closer to Bilbo, "Is it scrumptious? Is it crunchy?"

"Let me think!" Bilbo said, swinging his sword around again.

"Is Bagginses stuck?" Gollum asked, "Oh well, time's up!"

Bilbo looked up and his mouth gaped, "Time! The answer is time!"

Hayden sighed out loud; she was beginning to worry for a moment.

Gollum growled and angrily picked up a rock and threw it hard against the cold stone floor, becoming more restless as the game progressed.

Bilbo was too busy watching Gollum's aim to notice what Hayden noticed – and thank God she did. For a small golden object had flown out of the ragged covering that Gollum wore around his bottom half and had landed on the ground, a little too heavily and silently for it to be just an ordinary item.

Hayden tried her best to look like nothing had happened but she kept her eyes glued to the shiny ring that now lay only a few feet away from where Gollum was crouched.

She had been so involved in the game of riddles that she had forgotten why they had followed Gollum into his cave in the first place – to find the One Ring. If only she could get close enough to it to pick it up without Gollum noticing… all she needed was a distraction…

"Bilbo, I think it's your turn to give Gollum a riddle," Hayden said hurriedly, giving Bilbo a meaningful look when he made to question her.

"Ah, right," he said, apparently realising she had a plan forming, "_An eye in a blue face saw an eye in a green face. 'That eye is like to this eye,' said the first eye, 'But in low place, not in high place._'"

When Bilbo finished his riddle Gollum, who was growing more and more impatient, began to pace up and down, eyes shut tightly and muttering the riddle under his breath.

In his paces he came close a few times to stepping on the Ring, giving Hayden a near heart attack whenever he did so. She was desperately trying to think of a way to distract him that would not involve him pacing anywhere near the Ring… and then it hit her.

"He has to lose," she muttered.

"What does it say precious?" Gollum asked suspiciously, stopping his mutterings.

"What-? Oh! Nothing," she said hurriedly, gesturing for Bilbo to come to her once Gollum had resumed his pacing.

"What's wrong?" Bilbo asked with a deepening frown.

"You have to lose."

"_What_?"

"Shh!" she said hurriedly, subtly signaling not to disturb Gollum, "Listen I have to get something- something that is extremely important, and to do it Gollum has to be distracted, so I need you to lose the next riddle."

"Are you insane?" Bilbo whispered, "Do you know what it will do if I lose?"

"I know but we don't have to let that happen, do we?" she said, watching Gollum carefully out of the corner of her eye, "As soon as I get what I need we'll get the hell out of here, I promise."

"What is so important, Hayden?" Bilbo asked suspiciously.

"I- uh, hmm… let's just say the future of this world depends on it – got it?"

"Oh, so no pressure?"

"Only a little," she smirked.

"Sun- sun on the daisies, it means!" Gollum cried, making Hayden and Bilbo jump.

Hayden quickly stepped away from Bilbo, giving him one last meaningful glance before turning her gaze to the Ring – which to her immense relief was still lying abandoned on the floor.

"Yes, yes that's right, your turn now," Bilbo said, taking a deep breath and glancing once over at Hayden to give her a subtle nod.

"_Alive without breath, as cold as death; never thirsty, ever drinking, all in mail never clinking_," Gollum recited, watching Bilbo carefully as the hobbit pretended to be thinking hard about the answer.

As Bilbo thought in silence, Hayden began to make her way closer to where the Ring lay, trying her best not to make a sound so as not to attract Gollum's attention.

"Hmm, I don't know this one…" Bilbo said with a frown.

"Is it _stuck_?" Gollum cried happily.

"Hang on, give me one more moment!" Bilbo cried.

Gollum began to slink slowly towards Bilbo, crouching low to the ground like an animal stalking its prey. All innocence had disappeared from the creature's eyes and had been replaced with a burning hunger.

"Uh, no I don't think I know the answer," Bilbo said, his voice breaking slightly when he saw how close Gollum was.

Gollum was now fully concentrating on Bilbo, subconsciously licking his lips, and Hayden took her chance while she could.

Keeping her gaze on both Bilbo and Gollum, she slowly began to sidle in the direction of the Ring until she was standing directly next to it. Without making any sudden movements she slowly moved her right foot and covered the Ring with it, so that if Gollum turned around he would not see the golden object on the ground next to her.

"Bagginses _lost_," Gollum whispered in a menacing tone, "Bagginses lost and now it has to keep its end of the deal."

"Now, now," Bilbo took a hurried step backwards and looked worriedly over at Hayden, "Let's not rush into any hasty decisions."

"Bagginses lost and now we gets to eats it!" Gollum cried and made to lung forward but Bilbo brought his sword up and slashed it through the air wildly, in attempt to keep Gollum at bay while Hayden bent down and grasped the Ring as fast as she dared.

It was a lot heavier than she had expected, and it actually took her some effort to lift it with only the tips of her fingers. When she straightened up she quickly slipped the Ring into a pocket in her pants and took off her jumper and tied it around her waist so as to hide the pockets.

"Well, Gollum this has been fun but we really should be going," Hayden said quickly, running past Gollum to Bilbo. She grabbed the hobbit's arm and made for the entrance of the cave, but Gollum was too fast for them.

The creature hunched low to the ground and jumped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Bagginses lost the game," Gollum hissed, "And precious won… is it meaty? Is it scrumptiously crunchy?"

"Now might be a good time for one of your plans, Hayden," Bilbo said, as they were forced to back up further with Gollum slinking forward.

"No kidding," she breathed, her mind racing.

There was only one strategy she could think of.

"Listen Gollum, I told you I know a lot about you," Hayden said, speaking faster than normal in her panic, "And I happen to know you have something very special… something you stole from your cousin…"

Gollum stopped in his tracks and his wide eyes narrowed at Hayden.

"How does it know?" he hissed.

"I- I can't tell you that, but would you mind showing us the- uh, present?" she asked hopefully.

Gollum's right hand made to reach into the back of his covering but his opposite hand stopped him.

"No! Musn't show them the preciousss," Gollum croaked.

"But we needs to use it, precious," the other half of Gollum said softly, "We must use it – may as well show its…"

The creature crawled forwards towards Bilbo and Hayden and reached into the back of its raggedy covering.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Gollum cried to no one in particular, beginning to search the ground frantically, "Curses and splashes!"

"What have you lost?" Bilbo asked, but Hayden tugged hard on his sleeve and gestured for him to silently follow her. She had noticed a hidden path behind a tall rock quite a fair distance away from them, but if they were quiet enough they could reach it slip behind it without Gollum noticing.

"Mustn't ask us! Not its business!" Gollum cried, tears leaking from his deformed face.

As they made their way silently to the rock Gollum writhed around as if he was in real physical pain. When he eventually calmed down Hayden and Bilbo had almost reached the rock, and the creature spun around wildly looking for them.

"How did it know about the precious?" Gollum asked through barred teeth, his blue eyes piercing them, "They stole it… they stole it from us!"

The creature let out a blood-curdling cry and leapt forward towards them.

"Oh, shit – run!" Hayden screamed, pushing Bilbo forward behind the rock.

As soon as they had slipped behind it they began running for their lives, hoping to find an exit somewhere along the way. Behind them the screams of Gollum echoed down the walls and Hayden could hear his feet scraping fast against the floor as he followed them.

"Quick through there!" Bilbo whispered, pointing towards a crack in the high stonewall. He stepped back to allow Hayden through first and she quickly slipped through the gap easily, but when Bilbo tried to follow her his waistcoat buttons latched onto the rock.

"Damn these buttons!" Bilbo cursed.

Hayden saw Gollum appear at the end of the tunnel and had begun running towards Bilbo. She heaved on his arm and managed to pull him through just in time and there was a small pop as his buttons broke off his waistcoat.

Breathing heavily, they spun around to find somewhere to hide. There was a small space in between a rock that Hayden could fit into and not be seen, but nowhere for Bilbo.

Thinking quickly, Hayden pulled her jacket up and took out the Ring from her pocket, handing it to Bilbo.

"Here, put it on."

"What?"

"Just trust me, put on the ring!"

Giving her one last incredulous look the hobbit quickly took the Ring from her and hesitantly slipped it onto his finger. As soon as he did so he became immediately invisible to Hayden, who smiled and quickly hid in the space between the rocks.

Not a moment sooner, Gollum came bounding into the area they were hiding. Hayden watched Gollum carefully, hoping that Bilbo had enough sense to stay still and far away from the creature.

"Thieves! Baggins! Parker!" Gollum cried manically, and he leapt through another crack in the wall in search for them.

When Hayden could no longer hear Gollum she moved from her hiding space, looking for any sign of Bilbo.

"Bilbo?"

"Yes?"

"Where are you?"

"What do you mean? I'm standing right next to you."

"I don't doubt that, but I can't see you. Take off the ring."

Out of thin air Bilbo appeared next to her and she sighed in relief and hugged him.

"You couldn't see me?" Bilbo asked with a frown.

"No," she smiled, "You turned invisible as soon as you put it on."

Bilbo's eyebrows rose in shock, "Was _this_ the reason we came down here?"

At Hayden's nod the hobbit frowned down at the Ring that lay in his palm, as if it were merely an insignificant piece of metal.

"Hard to believe I know, but it had to be done," she sighed, "It's a powerful ring, keep it safe."

"What? No, Hayden you found it, you keep it," he held out his palm to her but she quickly shook her head.

"No, honestly it's better if you have it… believe me."

Bilbo frowned but didn't question her further, nodding and slipping the Ring into the pocket of his waistcoat.

Together they set off down an opposite path to the one Gollum took, without stopping until a familiar sound reached their ears, echoing off the stonewalls.

"Quickly!" said a deep voice.

More voices and sounds of hurried footsteps began to echo off the walls and Hayden stopped in shock.

"Was that-?"

"The Company," Bilbo nodded, almost laughing, "I don't believe it!"

"Come on!" Bilbo cried, grabbing her hand and pulling her in the direction of the voices, picking up their pace to a run.

They reached the end of the path and continued to their right when they saw a glint of light coming from a tunnel opening and they stumbled out onto a steep hill full of grass and trees.

Hayden and Bilbo ran full speed down the hill, carefully watching their footing but wanting to put as much distance between them and the mountain as possible.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 26 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	27. Chapter 26 - The Rise of the Pale Orc

**CHAPTER 26 - THE RISE OF THE PALE ORC**

**I did consider writing a short interlude to show what happened to the Company while Bilbo and Hayden were in Gollum's cave, but it would have been exactly as it was in the book and movie. So this chapter will hopefully be more interesting for you all - enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

The Company came to a halt at the bottom of the hill, where there was a clearing of trees, all gasping for breath in exhaustion. They had been through quite an ordeal after falling into the trap of the Goblins, and the dwarves had only just made it through unscathed because of Gandalf's timely return.

As all the dwarves made their way into the clearing Gandalf stopped and began to count to make sure their numbers were right.

"Thirteen…" Gandalf counted, frowning, "We are missing two!"

Thorin spun around, "Hayden?"

"Bilbo?"

"Where are Bilbo and Hayden?"

The dwarves all looked around in confusion – how had they not noticed that two of their number was missing? They expected this much of the hobbit, but not of Hayden.

"Where is Hayden?" Thorin bellowed, looking madly around at the dwarves in desperation, his heart lurching, "Did anyone see her?"

"The last I heard her was when we fell down to the Goblins," said Nori.

"Aye, the lass was helping the hobbit," said Dwalin.

Thorin swore angrily and kicked the nearest rock. As if that Halfling hadn't done enough already, now he had lost the love of his life because of him!

The dwarf King sunk to the ground, his face buried in his hands and a sick feeling in his stomach. He had lost his Hayden… how could he have not looked for her sooner? She was still in the mountain alone… and it was his fault.

Soundless tears streamed from Thorin's eyes and into his hands. There it was – that feeling again when he lost someone. Only this time it hurt more.

He couldn't go on. He couldn't complete his quest without Hayden…

"Where are you going, Thorin?" Balin asked nervously, watching as Thorin stood up determinedly and had begun to walk back towards the Mountain.

"I'm going to find her."

"Thorin!" Dwalin yelled, running to catch up with him, "It is suicide – you cannot go back."

"Do not tell me what I can and cannot do," Thorin spat, his eyes wild with grief and determination, "Hayden is alone in that Mountain, and if suicide is what it takes to get her out then I shall do it."

"Thorin, please-" Balin began, but stopped mid sentence.

A chilling howl pierced the air.

"Wargs," Gandalf cried, "Run! Run!"

Dwalin grabbed Thorin's shoulder and roughly pulled him around to face him.

"We will find her, Thorin," Dwalin said, "But I cannot let you die – not now."

Thorin looked from his old friend and back up to the Mountain. Slowly, he nodded and sighed heavily.

Dwalin clapped him on the shoulder and ran off after the rest of the Company through the clearing, with Thorin reluctantly following him.

They dodged over rocks and fallen branches, hearing the Wargs growls become louder and closer, and they stopped just in time at the edge of the clearing – it was a dead end.

Gandalf looked down at the steep drop and cursed, thinking quickly of how they could escape.

A few of the Wargs had now caught up with the Company, and the dwarves quickly drew their weapons and fought hard against them.

"Up into the trees! Hurry!" Gandalf cried, and the dwarves began to climb the tall pine trees as quickly as they could, before any more of the Wargs reached them.

Thorin, Fili and Kili climbed up the same tree, not stopping until they reached the very top branches.

By the time they had all hidden in the trees the pack of Wargs had gathered around the clearing and looked up in search of the dwarves.

Thorin's breath caught in his throat as a White Warg stepped up onto a rock. Riding the Warg was a sturdy white creature, with only one hand and deep cuts all over his body – the Pale Orc.

* * *

Hayden and Bilbo came running down the hill, looking desperately for any sign of the Company. There was a clearing of trees ahead of them, but she couldn't see any dwarves nearby.

"This is hopeless," Bilbo said, gasping for air.

And then Hayden heard it – the sound of screams and howls.

"Did you hear that?" she asked the hobbit.

"I did."

"It sounds like-"

"Wargs," Bilbo finished for her, his face turning white.

"Oh no," she muttered, her heart sinking, "Thorin."

Another howl pierced the air and Hayden began to panic.

"They're in trouble," she said quickly.

"What? How do you know-?"

"We have to find them!" she cried, beginning to run through the trees, desperately following any sound she could hear.

Bilbo groaned and followed after her shortly. Hayden looked around as she ran but did not stop until she had reached a small clearing in the trees.

"Thorin!" she cried out, hoping for a reply. But there was nothing – nothing but the sound of howls and growls.

"What's that?" Bilbo nodded in front of them.

There was a light flickering further down the hill amidst a thick clump of trees.

"It looks like fire," Hayden observed, squinting down the hill.

"Well, you know what they always say," Bilbo sighed, "Out of the frying pan-"

"And into the fire," Hayden finished heavily.

Together they ran down the hill towards the growing flames, with Hayden praying they were not too late.

* * *

Azog the Defiler leant down and stroked his Warg, talking to the Pack and their riders in some kind of Orcish language, his voice deep and menacing.

"It cannot be…" Thorin muttered as he stared upon the foe that he thought was dead long ago.

The Pale Orc raised himself higher on his Warg and cried out, _"Sho gad adol!"_ and pointed up at the trees where the dwarves were hidden.

Balin looked over at Thorin warningly, shaking his head, but Thorin ignored him – he knew what he must do.

The Wargs obeyed the orders of the Orc and began snapping up at the trees, breaking branches and scraping bark off the trunks. The trees were not thick, nor very sturdy, and the weight of the Wargs pushed them dangerously, shaking the dwarves from side to side. They held on for their lives as the Wargs jumped shockingly high in reach for them.

One by one the trees gave way and their trunks were hauled out of the ground, beginning a kind of domino effect. The first tree fell onto the one next to it, causing that one to bend and break and fall onto the other. Soon enough, the Company was hopping from tree to tree as they each crashed to the ground. When they had reached the last of the trees that was standing on the very edge of the cliff it wobbled dangerously. All of the dwarves were now sitting in that one precarious tree.

The Company stood on their branches looking down in terror – on one side there were the Wargs and Orcs, and on the other side was a sheer drop into a canyon.

A ball of fire hit the ground all of a sudden and the Wargs immediately spread away from the flames. Gandalf had begun lighting pinecones with his staff and throwing them down at the Wargs to ward them off.

The wizard yelled down to them in warning and passed Fili a flaming cone, to which he passed around to the rest of the dwarves so that they were all carrying pinecones alight with burning red flames.

They threw them down towards the Wargs, causing a sort of barrier of fire between them and the pack, and continued to throw them until the floor was ablaze with a fast spreading fire. The Wargs and their riders all yelped in fear and ran as fast as they could away from the fire.

The Pale Orc screamed in fury and the dwarves all cheered at their success. Kili made to stand up, smiling at his brother, which caused the tree lurch back sickeningly. Slowly, its roots broke from the ground and began to tilt, only stopping when it was completely horizontal and the Company were all hanging from their branches, trying hard not to look down at the drop below them.

Dori let out a yelp and he fell from his branch, catching onto Nori's boot before he could fall any further. Nori struggled to hold onto the branch with the weight of his brother on his leg.

"Mister Gandalf!" he cried to in panic and his grip slipped from the branch.

Gandalf thrust out his staff to Nori, who grabbed it just in time, but he could not hold onto it for long and Gandalf was struggling with the weight of the two dwarves.

Balin cried out suddenly, looking over to the end of the tree. The Company all turned to look at what Balin was shouting at.

"Thorin, no!" Dwalin cried, looking up to see Thorin stalking towards Azog.

* * *

"Thorin, no!"

The sound of Dwalin's cry carried up the hill to where Hayden and Bilbo were running.

"That's them!" Bilbo said, puffing with the effort.

The noises were becoming louder and the smell of burning wood filled the air the closer they came to the bottom of the hill.

* * *

"Thorin, please!" Balin yelled, trying with all his might to stand up but the weak branch he held onto would not take it.

"I have to!" Thorin bellowed, his stormy eyes burning red from the reflection of the fire, "Hayden is in that Mountain and I will fight every Goblin and Orc filth that stands in my way of getting her back!"

"Don't do this!" Balin pleaded.

In that moment something seemed to break in Thorin and his eyes lost their wild fire. The dwarf looked toward the ground, his voice catching in his throat when he spoke.

"I- I cannot do this without her… if something has happened to her I could never forgive myself… I could not live anymore…"

"Sacrificing yourself will not help her, Thorin!" Gandalf cried.

"No…" Thorin muttered, "But it might save her."

Thorin turned from his kin, picking up a thick abandoned piece of bark as he did so and holding it in front of him as a shield.

He would go down for Hayden, but it would not be without a fight.

Raising his sword above his head, Thorin let out a harsh battle cry and ran towards the Pale Orc.

Smiling maliciously, the Orc signaled to his Warg, which jumped off the rock it was on and towards Thorin. They collided with a sickening crash, knocking Thorin to the ground.

The White Warg spun around slowly to face Thorin again, who was stumbling exhaustedly to his feet.

Breaking into a run again, the Warg ran past Thorin, allowing the Orc to swing his metal mace back and pull it forward hard on Thorin's chest, knocking him to the ground again.

Before the dwarves could let out cries of protest, the Warg lowered it ugly head over Thorin and grabbed him with its sharp teeth. Thorin cried out in pain as the Warg shook its head, with Thorin still in its mouth.

"No!" Balin cried; his eyes tearing.

"Thorin!" Dwalin made to run off the tree but a branch broke beneath his feet and he fell, only just managing to hold onto another branch before he could fall further.

The Pale Orc looked on, watching Thorin with satisfaction, as the dwarf lay alone and broken, thrown onto the ground by the Warg.

"Bring me his head," the Pale Orc snarled to another orc by his side, who drew its long sword and grinned wickedly down at the helpless Thorin.

Thorin inhaled deeply and steeled himself for what was to come.

* * *

Hayden knew what would happen if Bilbo was not there in time, but she couldn't bare to think about it.

If something happened to him – if something _had_ happened to him- _no, he's going to be fine_, was what she continued to repeat in her head as she ran alongside Bilbo.

"Thorin!" another cry filled the air and Hayden's heart lurched.

They had now reached the bottom of the hill, where there was another clearing of trees and smoke from the fire was thick in the air.

Hayden and Bilbo slowed their pace and approached the scene cautiously; unsure of what was happening, and peered around a thick tree.

Thorin lay broken on the floor, his sword abandoned next to him and his arms sprawled uselessly at his sides.

Beside him stood a small Orc, who as they watched, lowered its blade to Thorin's throat, lining up for an aim.

Hayden's breath caught in her throat and she let out a scream before she could stop herself.

"Thorin!"

* * *

"Thorin!"

It was enough to distract everyone watching the horrible scene before them.

The orc holding the blade looked up momentarily to see where the scream had come from and Thorin's breath caught.

"Hayden…?" Thorin muttered, half unconscious – was he imagining things? Were hallucinations apart of dying?

And out of nowhere came the hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins leapt forward from behind a tree and knocked the orc to the ground before it could bring the sword down on Thorin's neck.

The orc fell back onto the ground and immediately sprung back over Bilbo, but the hobbit struck out his sword, forcing the orc to the ground and stabbing it hard in the chest multiple times.

The Pale Orc growled as he watched Bilbo climb to his feet and stand protectively over Thorin's motionless body. The Warg pack began to close in on Bilbo, who was swiping his sword in every direction in attempt to keep the Wargs back.

As fast as they could, the dwarves all pulled themselves up onto the trunk of the tree and ran to Bilbo's aid.

"Thorin!"

Hayden ran out from behind the tree after Bilbo, dodging in between the dwarves, orcs and Wargs at full speed towards Thorin.

When she reached his sprawled body she collapsed to the ground beside him, kneeling over and touching his face.

"Thorin?" she said shakily, tears welling in her eyes, "Thorin- please."

Thorin's eyes fluttered open and took a while to focus on her.

"Hayden?" he said weakly and frowned, narrowing his eyes as if to make sure she was not a hallucination, "You're alive?"

Hayden couldn't find words to speak – she just nodded, tears streaming down her face.

Then Thorin's eyes unfocused, and his body went limp, his head falling to one side.

"No… no, no!" she screamed through tears, "Thorin!"

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 27 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	28. Chapter 27 - The Worst is Behind Us

**CHAPTER 27 - THE WORST IS BEHIND US**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden woke to the sound of hushed whispers around her and she stirred restlessly, her head aching.

Yet again she found herself feeling like she had an extremely bad hangover and wondering what had happened… She remembered the riddles with Gollum, running down with Bilbo to find the Company surrounded by Wargs and Orcs, and Thorin-

"Thorin!" she sat up with a gasp and immediately regretted it as a wave of nausea hit her and her head panged with a sharp stabbing pain.

"It's all right, my dear," a deep voice came from next to her.

Hayden blinked a few times and let her eyes adjust to her surroundings.

She was lying on the ground in a clearing surrounded by trees. She noticed the rest of the Company busying themselves with setting up camp and making dinner.

Next to her sat Gandalf and Bilbo, who were looking over her worriedly.

"What- I don't, uh…" she stuttered.

"Do not worry yourself, Hayden," Gandalf said soothingly, "Everything is fine. We are all safe on the edge of Mirkwood."

"_Mirkwood_? What? But we were- we were in the Mountains-"

"We _were_… until old friends of mine came to the rescue," Gandalf said, a twinkle in his eyes, "As you should know."

"I should…" Hayden thought hard, "The eagles?"

"That's right," he nodded, "They brought us to this clearing… Bilbo here looked after you along the way."

Bilbo shuffled in his seat embarrassedly.

"Oh… thanks Bilbo," she smiled, putting a hand to her head and squinting, "What happened?"

"It would seem the effects of our latest escapade took a toll on you, my dear," Gandalf said heavily, "And you collapsed after you saw Thorin injured."

"Thorin…" she repeated with a growing frown. Then something clicked in her mind, "Oh my god, Thorin-!"

"It's alright, he is just fine," Gandalf put a soothing hand on her shoulder, "He is being tended to as we speak."

Hayden made to get up but was immediately knocked to the ground as two boulder-like figures came slamming into her.

"Ouch!" she cringed as Fili and Kili wrapped their arms around her, feeling like her body was bruised from top to bottom.

"We thought you were gone, Parker," Kili muttered.

Hayden pulled back and saw there were tears in both Fili and Kili's eyes.

"Oh, you guys," she smiled softly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"We wouldn't let you even if you wanted to," Fili smiled and they embraced her tightly again.

"Why on earth would you think I was gone?" she asked incredulously once they had let her go.

"You disappeared," Kili frowned, "You and Bilbo… and we thought- we thought you were…"

"Oh…"

"But it wasn't us who suffered the worst when we _did_ think that," Fili said, "Poor Thorin looked like he had given up on life itself when he found out you were missing."

"Really?"

"He practically gave himself up to Azog – we told him it was suicide but he said if that's what it took to save you then he would do it," Kili said heavily.

Hayden's mouth opened slightly – _why would he do that?_

"Where is he?" she asked quickly.

"Down by the stream," Fili pointed behind her.

Hayden nodded and made to get up but Gandalf held her back.

"Hayden, you need to rest," he said strictly, "I understand you are worried about Thorin-"

"_Worried_?" she scoffed, "I'm going to _kill_ him!"

Hayden leapt up and spun around on her heel away from the others, who all stared at her in confusion and bewilderment, ignoring the waves of nausea that threatened to overthrow her.

Noticing Thorin sitting next to a stream washing his arms and face, she stalked towards him.

"Thorin!"

Thorin looked up and his face split into a smile when he saw her, standing up and taking her in. But his smile instantly disappeared when he saw the look on her face.

"What the _hell_ are you playing at?" she asked, stopping a few metres in front of him and crossing her arms.

Thorin frowned and looked past to the rest of the dwarves, who shrugged clueless.

"You practically _gave yourself up_?"

"Uh…"

"Did you think getting yourself killed was the best way to solve the situation?" she asked, "Or did you just think 'oh I'll drop dead right about now, shall I?'"

Thorin was lost for words – he hadn't been expecting this kind of a greeting.

"You have got to be the most stubborn, idiotic, overbearing, egotistical man I have _ever_ met!" she growled, stamping her foot in frustration.

For a moment she just glared at him, and Thorin looked nervously back at her, wondering what on earth she was going to do next.

And without warning, Hayden ran forward into him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

Thorin's initial surprise wore off in an instant and he hugged her back, resting his face in the crook of her neck.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Thorin Oakenshield," she said shakily, tears streaming down her face, "I thought you were…"

"Of course not. I made you a promise, remember?" he smiled.

She broke away from him and looked into his gorgeous stormy grey eyes, and he wiped away her tears softly with his thumb.

"I know," she nodded, stroking the side of his face with her hand.

He broke into a bright smile that reached his eyes, and she took his face in both her hands and kissed him deeply and passionately – like nothing else in the world mattered but him.

Thorin wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, pulling her closer to him and she wound her fingers through his long black hair.

Hayden pulled back from Thorin after a long satisfying moment locked with his lips.

"Did you really give yourself up?" she asked breathlessly.

"I thought I had lost you…" he said softly, his eyes searching her face, "And I would rather die than live in a world without you, Hayden Parker."

"Oh, Thorin," she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes again, "I love you."

"I love you, Hayden."

And he pulled her up towards him again and embraced her, covering her lips with his in a kiss they would always remember.

* * *

"Look at the state of you!" Hayden said in disapproval, running a gentle hand over the deep cuts and bruises on Thorin's face once they were back at the camp.

"You're one to talk," Thorin said, looking her up and down.

Hayden noticed for the first time how ragged she actually looked since she fell into Gollum's cave. Her clothes were ripped and there were blood and cuts over her body, her face dirty and bruised.

"Oh," she laughed.

"Yeah, I can see you're going for the whole 'evil witch' style," Kili laughed as he walked past, and quickly dodged out of the way as Hayden made to hit him.

"Watch it!" Kili yelled, "Keep her in line, Uncle."

"Do something useful Kili and find us some water," Thorin sighed. Kili nodded begrudgingly, pulled a face at Hayden, and then disappeared to find water.

"How is your arm?" Thorin asked, nodding to a rather deep cut on her arm.

Hayden looked down in surprise – she hadn't even realised she had cut it, probably during the steep fall in the mountains. But now he mentioned it, she could feel a dull pain throbbing from that area. It was not bleeding too much, but it was still deep and open to infections.

"Urgh, it's disgusting," she said pulling a weird face and holding her arm away from her.

Thorin chuckled and pulled the arm back to him to examine it, "Does it hurt?"

"I didn't even realise it was there," she shrugged.

"I should not be so surprised that you have a high threshold for pain. But it looks particularly nasty," he said, gently touching the wound.

"Oin will be around shortly with his ointment, then we can properly bandage it," he told her and excused himself for a moment – there were a few people he needed to have quick words with.

* * *

"Bilbo, may I have a word?" Thorin asked the hobbit.

Bilbo looked hesitant at first, then reluctantly agreed, following Thorin over to a place in the clearing where they would not be overheard.

"I wanted to thank you," Thorin said, and Bilbo raised his eyes in shock, "I realise that without you Hayden might never have made it out of the Mountains alive."

As soon as they had landed in the clearing and Thorin had been revived, Bilbo had informed them where he and Hayden had disappeared to while the Company were trapped with the Goblins. They were all very much impressed with the hobbits riddling skills and the fact that the two had made it out alive.

"Hayden is more than capable of fending for herself," Bilbo muttered.

"I know," Thorin said, "But it was you who defeated that creature and found the way out. And for that I am truly thankful."

Bilbo nodded and his face became flushed in embarrassment, "It was nothing."

"It was not nothing, it was everything," Thorin said, looking over at Hayden.

"You really love her, don't you?" Bilbo asked, noticing Thorin's gaze.

"More than I ever thought possible," Thorin sighed.

"She loves you just as much," Bilbo said sincerely, "You should have seen the state of her when she thought you were going to be hurt – I've seen Hayden annoyed and angry before, but this was a whole new kind of scary."

Thorin chuckled and his heart warmed at the thought of Hayden so worried about his safety, "That must have been a sight… I think I would rather not have seen it."

Bilbo nodded thoughtfully and joined in with Thorin's laughter.

"Go rest, Bilbo," Thorin clapped the hobbit over the shoulder, "You'll be needing your strength for the journey to come."

"That I will," Bilbo sighed, nodding to Thorin and leaving him to his thoughts.

And now for Fili and Kili, Thorin inwardly sighed. He always dreaded having one on one conversations with his nephews, particularly when they focused on Hayden, and he had a feeling this one was going to be no exception.

Thorin had known during the ride to the Misty Mountains that Fili and Kili had discussed something of importance with Hayden while she rode with them.

He had purposely ordered Hayden on to his own pony with force just to see what her reaction might be. And sure enough, she had not argued or snapped back, which definitely proved she was thinking hard.

What about though, Thorin was not sure. And that was exactly what he planned on extracting from his nephews.

"Fili, Kili," Thorin called to his nephews, gesturing them over to him.

The young dwarves eyed him nervously and approached with hesitation. Thorin could not help but think what it was that made people so reluctant to be around him alone.

"You called, uncle?" Fili asked, once they had reached him.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Thorin said seriously.

"Whatever you heard, it wasn't us," Kili said quickly, holding his hands up in innocence.

"Why? What did you-?" Thorin began to ask but quickly shook his head – to be truthful; he really didn't want to know what they had done, as it definitely wouldn't be something good.

"I wanted to ask what you were discussing with Hayden while she rode with you," Thorin said, gazing intently at both his nephews.

Fili looked away for a moment in thought then laughed out loud.

"Oh! _That_," he grinned, "Remember Kili?"

"How could I forget?" Kili sighed wistfully.

"Well?" Thorin snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"We were just talking about dwarf customs," Fili shrugged casually, "Courting, love, certain offerings and their meanings…"

There it was – what Thorin had been dreading.

He groaned, "What exactly did you tell her?"

"It was nothing much, just hunches," Kili waved a hand, "We happened to see what you had given her and she was merely curious as to what it meant."

"_And what exactly did you tell her_?" Thorin repeated through barred teeth.

"Hmm, now what was it we said?" Fili pretended to be thinking hard, "Oh yes – when dwarves find their soul mate they offer them something of great significance and it means-"

"-That you are giving them your heart and/or your life," Kili finished.

Thorin gaped at his nephews, attempting to wrap his head around this.

"So you told _Hayden_ that I gave her the key as a symbol of my _heart_?" he said slowly.

"Yes… _and_ that you want to marry her," Kili added.

"Are you both mentally challenged?" Thorin snapped, "It is a wonder she still wants to be around me!"

"Why is that?" Fili frowned.

"If you have not noticed, Hayden is not the traditional woman," Thorin growled, "She would not have taken such a gesture lightly."

"So that _is_ what you meant by it then?" Fili asked, "Giving her your heart?"

Thorin glared from one nephew to another, but nodded stiffly, and he noticed to his disgust that they were grinning from ear to ear.

"What now?" Thorin sighed.

"Well, don't you wonder uncle why she _did_ take it more lightly than she should have?" Kili asked.

"Or how all she did was _think_ and not _freak out_?" Fili added.

Thorin frowned, "I do not understand…"

"Honestly, sometimes I think we know more about the lass than he does," Kili muttered to his brother, who nodded with a dramatic sigh.

"Would you just tell me-"

"She was considering it," Fili blurted out.

"Considering what?"

"Being married to you, uncle," Kili said exasperatedly, "What her future would be like with you."

Thorin paused, "You do not know this-"

"Oh, yes we do," Fili grinned, "She told us."

"She told you?" Thorin gaped.

"She told us," Kili repeated.

"What did she say?" Thorin asked quickly, and then cleared his throat, trying not to seem too desperate.

"Like we said," Fili shrugged, "She was pondering over what your future might be like together."

"And she started smiling all stupidly," Kili added, "Plus when we accused her she couldn't come up with a single sarcastic comment about it – you could honestly see the struggle in her eyes as she tried but she was just too distracted."

Thorin thought it over, and it did make sense.

Hayden was not acting strange around him or any different to how she usually was. And she had not given back the key, which was definitely a positive.

And he distinctively remembered his conversation with her when she began riding with him again… how distracted she seemed, but how she kept sighing happily and smiling to herself when she thought he wasn't looking – _that_ definitely wasn't normal Hayden behaviour.

Maybe his nephews were right for once… maybe Hayden was thinking of a future with him? Of course, Thorin had thought about it since she had agreed to come to Middle Earth with him. He fully intended on marrying her and making her his Queen… but whether she wanted that was a different subject.

But now he knew this he felt a new surge of hope… maybe she _did_ want what he wanted for the future after all…

* * *

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews, as usual! I was worried going into these first Middle Earth chapters but you guys have really given me the confidence to see this through to the end with a bang! Bring on the next chapter :D**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 27 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	29. Chapter 28 - Expect the Unexpected

**CHAPTER 28 - EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

The dwarves had started a fire in the middle of the clearing and were sitting around it soaking up its warmth. Oin was circling the group, giving out an herbal salve to those who had open wounds or cuts.

When he had finished the rounds, he handed the entire bottle to Hayden to use on her arm and Thorin's wounds – which were a lot worse than any of the others.

Hayden and Thorin were sitting on a rock not far away from the campfire, a bucket of water and rags next to them. Hayden had just finished putting the ointment on her wound and Thorin was gently wrapping it in a bandage.

"Good as new," she joked, holding up her bandaged arm, "Your turn now."

Thorin grumbled stubbornly.

"Well its either this or you can go around looking like that for the rest of your life," she said, picking up a new rag and soaking it with water.

Thorin said nothing and moaned in protest as Hayden began softly dabbing the cuts on his face with the wet rag. He winced as she touched the rather deep cut on his nose.

"Sorry," she said, and continued to dab it even more gently.

Thorin watched her as she carefully looked over his face, making sure she had wiped clean all the wounds.

"Would you still love me if I looked this way forever?" he asked out of pure curiosity.

"I don't know… I think I would have to seriously reconsider my feelings," she smiled jokingly and he growled and threw a dirty rag at her.

"Urgh, that had your blood on it!" she cringed, flicking the rag away in disgust.

"Good," he retorted, then yelped in pain as she began to put on the ointment a little rougher than before.

"Ok… done. Now you look much prettier," she grinned, examining his face and laughing as he glared at her choice of words.

"Dwarf Kings are not _pretty_," he said, spitting the last word.

"Oh that's a shame, because I happen to think you're a very pretty King," she said to aggravate him, and gently grabbed his chin and kissed him.

"Okay, take off your shirt," she said, once she had broken away from his lips.

"Half a moment, woman," Thorin replied, merely to get a reaction out of her, and he smirked secretly when she growled.

But Hayden was glad to have something to look annoyed at; she would need it to distract her from what she was about to see. She had seen Thorin without his shirt on only once before and that had not been for more than a few seconds, but it had still felt like heaven. All she knew was that she could barely concentrate when he had a thin shirt on, let alone with a bare chest trying to examine his wounds.

Wincing in pain, Thorin slipped off his shirt and threw it to the ground next to him, and Hayden tried her best not to stare or breath too heavily.

His chest was thick and muscly and covered with a thin layer of dark hair, his skin beneath it surprisingly tanned. It was breathtaking how perfectly sculpted he was, and how his muscles spread from his chest, down his abdomen and across his arms.

Attempting to stay focused, though admittedly paying more attention to his masculine features than his wounds, Hayden examined the long cut across his chest and the bite marks from where the Warg had attacked him. There were four wounds, two on one side of his chest, two on the other, where the animals four prominent teeth had pierced his skin.

As gently as she could, Hayden pushed her finger onto his skin near one of the marks and Thorin winced in pain, involuntarily flexing his muscles and causing a sharp intake of breath from Hayden.

She cleared her throat quickly and frowned, "I'm not sure about these… I can put ointment on that cut on your chest but I think Oin will have to examine these properly."

After she had cleaned up the wounds with another rag she called Oin over and left him with Thorin to deal with the bite marks.

Hayden made her way over to Gandalf, who was standing by himself looking at their surroundings, trying to pinpoint exactly where they were. Hayden had a very good idea, but she didn't say anything, not wanting to interfere – it was lucky enough Bilbo had even found the ring in Gollum's cave in the first place.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Hayden asked Gandalf when she had reached him, and he looked down on her with a kind smile.

"I believe we are close to the borders of the Forest of Mirkwood," he said confidently, "But we still have a long journey ahead of us before we reach Erebor."

"I know," she sighed.

"I trust everything went as it was meant to?" he asked subtly, still examining their surroundings so as not to look too suspicious to the rest of the Company.

She nodded, mimicking his subtle behaviour, "Everything except the Storm Giants."

Gandalf frowned, "I suppose we shall have to see what else may have changed… but all is well as long as everything important occurred… he found the Ring, did he not?"

"He did, thank God."

"Good," he smiled, "I am glad you are with us, Hayden. Your presence is an immense relief on myself, if you would believe."

"How so?" she smirked.

"Besides your _infinite_ knowledge," he said dramatically, "Thorin is much less stubborn with you around, as I assume you've been told… but one less stubborn dwarf to deal with makes my journey a lot easier."

Hayden laughed, distractedly looking over at Thorin.

"For a moment though, I did think the worst of you and poor Bilbo," Gandalf said heavily.

"Apparently everyone did," she sighed, "But I'm not going anywhere yet, the adventure is only just beginning."

* * *

The Company agreed to rest for the night in the clearing and set off for the edge of Mirkwood the next morning.

Hayden wished she could say that afternoon was relaxing and passed without an incident, but travelling with fifteen males definitely had its ups and downs.

In the mid-afternoon, the dwarves had tried to convince her to bath with them in a deep lake they had found close by their camp.

Hayden had of course refused as politely as she could.

"No, no," she shook her head, "Really I think I'll just stay by the fire, but you all go get clean."

"But Miss, there won't be any more baths on our journey," Ori said.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," she muttered.

"Are you sure?" Thorin asked, flashing her a rare boyish grin that made her heart beat a million miles an hour.

"Quite," she laughed, "I'll be fine, I'll only be reading by the fire."

"As long as you stay by Gandalf," Thorin said strictly, before heading off down to the lake with the other dwarves and Bilbo.

Hayden sighed in relief; no way in hell was she planning on bathing with fourteen naked men. Though she was disappointed she wouldn't get to see Thorin naked and wet… now _that_ was a very nice picture, indeed.

She took a seat by the fire not far away from Gandalf, who was relaxing and smoking his pipe.

"Uh, Hayden," Gandalf frowned, "I don't know how to tell you this, but-"

"What is it?" she asked and was suddenly lifted off the ground by two pairs of arms. "What the _hell_?"

Hayden tried to struggle against the arms but they were too strong for her, and when she heard the laughs of pure glee she knew exactly who it was.

Kili threw her over his shoulder so that he was holding her legs and her upper half hung over his back.

"We're going for a little dip," Fili laughed.

"No!" she screamed, "Gandalf!"

The wizard chuckled at the sight and merely looked on innocently, "I'm sorry, my dear!"

"Kili! Put me down!" she yelled, smacking his back with her hands as he began running down through the trees towards the lake.

Fili and Kili continued to laugh loudly as Hayden struggled even more, kicking and punching and calling them a range of inventive names.

They reached the lake a few moments later, looking out onto the water on top of a small cliff. Next to them was a waterfall that rushed down into the lake.

In any other situation Hayden would have found the scenery breathtaking, but right now all she wanted to do was smash Fili and Kili's heads in.

Kili placed her down on the floor at the edge of the cliff, and they stayed close to her to make sure she couldn't make a run for it.

"What do you say lads?" Fili yelled down the cliff face to where the rest of the Company were already in the water, "Shall we toss her?"

The dwarves all cheered loudly.

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Hayden called down to them.

"Off you go, Parker!" Kili smiled, taking a step towards her.

"Ladies first, Kili," she grinned and stuck out her leg so that the dwarf tripped and went toppling into the water.

Cheers and laughter filled the air once again as Kili broke the surface of the water, gasping for breath, and threw a rude finger sign up at Hayden.

"Oh, I love you too!" she smiled sweetly to him.

"Your turn now, Hayden," Fili grinned and gave her a small nudge over the edge.

She screamed in shock and just managed to grab his shirt in time, and they both fell into the water right beside Kili.

"Oh my god!" she screamed as she broke the surface, "You assholes!"

She swum over and pushed Fili's head into the water.

"What if I couldn't swim!" she yelled.

"We would always be there to rescue you," Kili smiled sweetly, and she splashed him in the face.

"Honestly, do all your schemes revolve around me being absolutely humiliated?"

"Pretty much."

"Yes, that seems like an accurate description."

The dwarves both laughed and splashed her violently.

"Alright, alright!" she laughed and screamed in shock once again as someone grabbed her waist from behind.

She spun around to see Thorin smirking at her, and she growled and splashed him in the face.

"You're all as bad as each other!"

"The opportunity presented itself and I could not refuse," Thorin chuckled.

Hayden growled in frustration, "I have a bathing suit you know! But now I'll have to wear soaking clothes for the rest of the day."

Thorin wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, treading water, and tilted his head into the crook of her neck and began kissing her.

"Or you could wear nothing at all," he whispered seductively as he reached her ear, and continued along her jawline.

Hayden tried her best to stay focused but it was extremely hard with Thorin brushing his lips along her cheek and completely clouding her mind. She moaned quietly and went to wrap her legs around his waist, but stopped in shock when she felt nothing but bare skin.

"Thorin, are you-?"

He flashed her another boyish grin – two in one day? It was all too much! – and began kissing her again.

"Oh get a room!" Fili cried in disgust.

Hayden held up a rude hand sign in return, not directing her attention away from Thorin.

"Shall we find somewhere more private to continue this?" Thorin whispered.

"You really want to start something we can't finish?" she asked breathlessly.

"What if I want to finish it?"

Hayden pulled back, "Really?"

"Really," he smiled, "Unless you do not want-"

"No," she said, a little too quickly, "I mean, I want to, if you do."

"I want _you_, my love," he whispered, "Nothing else."

It took Hayden a few moments to process this, and when she did she only just managed to nod her head and smile, completely immersed in his presence as he led her away from the Company to a secluded area of the lake.

* * *

Hayden and Thorin made their way back to the camp from the lake quite a considerable amount of time after the rest of the Company, their hands intertwined rather like their bodies had been only a few moments earlier.

Hayden could honestly say it was the most enjoyable bath she had ever had – if it could even be called that due to definite lack of bathing that occurred.

And despite the fact that they still had a long dangerous journey ahead of them, Hayden could not have been happier. She felt oddly complete and satisfied, in the way that only one straight hour of lovemaking with Thorin Oakenshield could do.

When they had reached an area closer to the camp where the trees had begun to thin, Thorin stopped walking, pulling Hayden back to face him.

"Before we go back," Thorin said slowly, "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Hayden asked.

"You should know, I- I was not planning on telling you this until the moment was right – after this quest," he began, "But seeing as you have already guessed I feel it is only proper to tell you- or more _ask_ you…"

"Thorin, I don't understand," she frowned, beginning to feel nervous from his stuttering and the unusual shaking in his voice.

"I know you are well aware of the customs of my race…" he said, absentmindedly touching the spot under Hayden's shirt where Thror's key hung, "And had I known this moment would happen so soon I might have delved further into your own traditions…"

"What are you-?"

"But I- I don't feel I can put it off any longer," he continued, his hand moving up and gently brushing a strand of her damp hair out of her face, "I do remember one particular tradition from your race I saw in one of your 'movies'…"

"Thorin…?"

As she watched in stunned shock, Thorin Oakenshield took one of her hands in both of his and got down on one knee in front of her.

Hayden's heart felt like it had stopped beating, her breath caught in her throat and her free hand immediately shot up to her mouth in disbelief.

"From the moment we met I knew there was something… different about you," Thorin began, his face straining to keep his voice steady, "And ever since then I have found myself thinking of my future… _our_ future… together."

As Thorin talked Hayden's eyes began to well with tears, but she refused to look away from him, her heart beat escalating to triple its usual pace.

"I left the Blue Mountains hoping against all odds to reclaim my home, the home of my people… and I had every intention of sacrificing myself be it necessary," he said heavily, "But I never thought I would be lucky enough to find the love of my life along this journey… and I could not have hoped, in a million lifetimes, to find a better match for me than what you are… you have given me a reason to live and fight."

Tears began to fall from Hayden's eyes but she was smiling from ear to ear – she didn't have to be an expert on _the Hobbit_ to know what was going to happen next…

"I love you, Hayden," Thorin took a deep breath, seemingly bracing himself, "And I- I want nothing more than to be with you forever… so what I am asking you, Hayden Parker, is if you would do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?"

Using all her strength to control her emotions, Hayden knelt down so that she was eye level with Thorin, and placed her free hand gently on his knee.

"Nothing would make me happier," she choked out, and Thorin's face broke into a brilliant smile so bright it made her heart swell and her stomach soar with butterflies.

Hayden smiled with him and laughed quietly, tears still running down her face. She took his face in her hands and kissed him with as much love and passion as she could muster, Thorin responding by running a hand through her hair, the other settling in the small of her back and pulling her closer towards him.

When Thorin broke away suddenly his eyebrows were furrowed together in a worried frown.

"I am sorry," he sighed, "I do not have anything else to offer you, I-"

Hayden put a gentle finger over his mouth and shook her head.

"I don't need you to offer me anything Thorin, I don't need anything else," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I wouldn't care if we were living in a shack in the center of Mordor. As long as I have you, nothing else matters."

Thorin smiled and traced his calloused finger softly down the side of her face.

"You are mine, and I am yours," he smiled

"You are mine, and I am yours," she repeated.

And in that moment Hayden Parker's protective barriers collapsed, and she allowed herself to believe, for the first time in her life, that she was the luckiest woman in the world.

* * *

**Eeeep! When I was editing this even I had to screech like a crazed fan-girl :3  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved writing it - let me know your opinions in a review!**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 29 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	30. Chapter 29 - The Skin-Changer

**CHAPTER 29 - THE SKIN-CHANGER**

**Warning: quite a few fluff scenes in this chapter... I just couldn't help myself - enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Hayden and Thorin had decided against telling the rest of the Company about their recent engagement, as it would only serve as a distraction from the journey ahead. But that didn't stop both of them from acting a considerable amount happier and less stubborn than their usual selves, and more openly affectionate towards one another.

When they set out the next morning, Hayden suspected a few of the Company members had noticed hers and Thorin's lighthearted mood even with the prospect of a long day of travel ahead of them. Fili and Kili were definitely a lot quieter than usual, and a few times Hayden caught Bilbo studying both her and Thorin out of the corner of his eye.

So Hayden was extremely glad when Gandalf began a conversation about where their travels were leading them that particular day, hoping this would prove as a distraction to the carefully watching eyes.

"His name is Beorn," Gandalf explained, "He is a very great person, in his own way."

"How so?" Bilbo asked, walking slightly behind the wizard.

"He is a skin-changer, and a very strong one at that," Gandalf continued, "Though he is kind enough when in good humour, he can be appalling when angry; and it is imperative we do not annoy him."

"A _skin-changer_?" the dwarves all muttered between them, both nervous and impressed.

"Is it not possible to seek the company of one who is not so ill-tempered?" Thorin asked, and Hayden saw the wizard smirk at the irony of the question.

"I should think not, Master Thorin. I am hoping Beorn will aid in our crossing of Mirkwood."

"And what does his- uh, _skin_ change to?" Bilbo asked.

"A black bear," Hayden answered automatically and turned a little pink when she realised she had answered out loud, but Gandalf nodded for her to continue, "When he chooses to at least. Other times he appears as a very large man."

"A black bear?" Bilbo frowned.

"That's right," Hayden nodded, "and there are a heap of rumours about why he takes that shape. Some say his ancestry descends from the bears of the mountains from ancient times, but others say he is just as ancient as the bears themselves, and that he has existed long before Smaug or-"

Hayden stopped abruptly when she noticed the Company were all staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away," she muttered, looking down embarrassed.

"Not at all, my dear," Gandalf smiled back at her, "Do continue; it gives me a break from explaining for once."

"Oh, right," she laughed, forgetting for a moment that she was in Middle Earth and not England, "Well, uh, he lives in a wooden house on the edge of Mirkwood with cattle and horses. But he lives off the honey that he gets from his bee-pastures."

"Just honey?" Gloin cried in surprise, "However does the man survive!"

"Not everyone thinks of their stomach first, Gloin," Dwalin grunted.

"You should not always be so ashamed to share your knowledge," Thorin whispered to Hayden, walking close beside her so that their arms were brushing together.

"I don't want to come across as a know-it-all," Hayden smirked.

"You don't, so do not worry," he smiled, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss the back of it gently.

Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled down at her feet. To think that this gorgeous man wasn't a figment of her imagination and that he was all hers made her heart soar so high it was hard to control her happiness at times.

Behind them Kili clear his throat, staring at them with his eyebrows raised and a smirk tugging at his lips.

Thorin cleared his throat quickly, gave her hand a small squeeze and walked on to the front of the group to lead the way. Hayden smiled subtly and sighed, tilting her head a fraction to the left as she watched Thorin walk ahead of her. As much as she didn't want to act like a love struck sex-craving teenager, she really couldn't wait until the next time she had him all alone.

The Company stayed quieter for the rest of the trip, concentrating on pacing their travels and surviving in the burning heat of the sun. When they had finally reached a field with patches of brightly coloured flowers in the mid afternoon, the sounds of buzzing filled the air.

"Almost there!" Gandalf cried happily from the front of the group, "We are about to enter his bee-pastures – mind where you tread."

Only a few moments later they reached a vast yard, covered with the nests of thousands of bees. The whirring and buzzing noises they made were incredible, but that was nothing compared to their size. They looked more like overgrown hornets, every one of them roughly an inch long. The Company passed hesitantly through the bees, watching wearily where they stepped and keeping a safe distance between themselves and the insects.

When the bee-pastures eventually came to an end they saw another forest of tall oak trees lay ahead of them, to which they could not see the end of.

"Beorn's house is just through this forest," Gandalf said softly, "I think it best to arrive only two at a time, so we do not overwhelm the man."

They nodded profusely; after the way Gandalf and Hayden had described him, they had no intention of annoying the skin-changer.

"Bilbo and I will go first," Gandalf continued, and Bilbo turned white, "On my signal only, Thorin and Hayden will follow, and then the rest come in pairs, and _only_ pairs."

The wizard patted Bilbo on the back and gestured for the hobbit to follow him through the trees. Bilbo smiled nervously at Hayden and then followed Gandalf.

"Tell me this detour does not end badly," Thorin muttered to Hayden.

"It doesn't, don't worry," she said, and took his hand.

Minutes later, a soft whistle filled the air from beyond the trees.

"That must be the signal," Hayden said.

"Let's go," Thorin led the way through the forest, keeping Hayden close to his side, their hands still intertwined.

The forest was deceivingly short from what it seemed to be on the other side. In no time at all did the tall oaks disappear to reveal a cluster of wooden buildings.

Thorin was first to step through a large gate, with Hayden closely behind him, and came to a halt in a courtyard where Gandalf and Bilbo stood, accompanied by a very large man.

Hayden tried to hide her shock but it was rather hard; he was the largest man she had ever seen in her life, easily standing a meter above Gandalf, who was already taller than the average man.

Beorn had black hair that fell down to his shoulders, a thick beard, and wore a brown tunic that showed his bare arms and legs, that were equally as hairy as his face. But although his expression seemed hardened and his figure was extremely intimidating, Hayden could see laughter crinkles by his eyes and a look of kindness in his large face.

"You did not lie when you said you had more company," the man said to Gandalf, in a voice so deep it would make James Earl Jones sound like a soprano, "But these are not hobbits?"

They approached where the man stood and Thorin stepped forward and gave a low bow.

"Thorin Oakenshield, at your service."

"Thorin?" Beorn raised his eyebrows, "Son of Thrain?"

"Aye."

"I see," the man grumbled, "I am not in need of your service, but I thank you."

Beorn leaned over to look behind Thorin curiously, "A woman?"

"This is our companion, Hayden Parker," Gandalf said quickly.

"My wizard, you do keep strange company," Beorn gave a booming laugh, "Hobbits, dwarves and women! What other races are you hiding, I wonder?"

"Just those three, I'm afraid," Gandalf smiled, looking rather relieved.

"Nonetheless, I am happy to help your company, though how many more of you are there?" Beorn asked, and Gandalf let out another whistle.

Right on cue, Fili and Kili appeared from out of the forest and approached them.

"Fili-"

"And Kili-"

"At your service!"

"Beorn, at yours," the man bowed, "Are these the last of your companions?"

"Not quite," Gandalf smiled.

As Gandalf had instructed, each pair of dwarves appeared after Gandalf's whistle and introduced themselves to Beorn.

When all twelve dwarves had reached Beorn's courtyard the man looked a little overwhelmed, but he did not react as Gandalf feared.

"You call this a few companions?" Beorn asked Gandalf, "I must say I am not overly fond of dwarves, but they seem like a respectable bunch and as long as they do not cause trouble on my lands."

"Never," Gandalf smiled, "We are very grateful."

"Of course! You are lucky – I am in good humour for a party of some sort," Beorn said, and beckoned them through large oak doors, lined with wooden columns.

Beorn led the Company through a long corridor and down to a brightly lit hall that held a long wooden table, large enough for at least thirty guests.

"Please, take a seat," Beorn told them, and they did so in the seats closest to Beorn's high chair, which sat at the very end of the table.

Gandalf and Thorin sat on either side of Beorn, with Bilbo next to Gandalf and Hayden beside Thorin.

When they had all taken there seats Beorn spoke, but it was not in the common tongue. It sounded more like animal noises than anything. Upon his call, into the room pranced a white pony with a silvery mane and it approached where Beorn sat.

Beorn murmured to the pony in the weird animal-like language and it disappeared once again at his orders.

Next to Hayden, Kili stifled a snort of laughter and she elbowed him hard in the ribs to quickly shut him up.

"Dinner, my guests," Beorn said after a rather awkward silence.

More ponies trotted into the room, four to be exact, which were all identical to the one that had entered the hall before. Shortly following the ponies were seven greyhound dogs, which looked quite a fair bit larger and more muscular than the version Hayden had known in England.

On their backs the animals carried dishes of food platters that they skillfully placed onto the table in front of the Company; it was the strangest sight Hayden had ever seen, and it was all she could do not to stare open-mouthed at the animals.

The dwarf's eyes widened in hunger, despite the lack of meat on the table (Beorn never hunted animals), for this were the best meal they would have since leaving Rivendell.

"Eat," Beorn grunted, gesturing to the food once the animal servers had left the room, and the dwarves did not hesitate for another second.

"Now," Beorn turned to Gandalf, in between bites, "What business brings you to the edge of Mirkwood?"

"Ah, a thrilling tale, if I do say so myself," Gandalf said brightly, "It began in the Shire, of all places…"

Hayden listened carefully as Gandalf retold the tale of the Company, beginning with the unexpected party in Bag End, and ending with their encounter with Azog the Defiler.

"You intend to take back the Lonely Mountain, then?" Beorn grunted to Thorin, who nodded, "With only this company as your army?"

"The bravest dwarves of Erebor," Thorin said proudly, "I could not wish for finer companions."

The dwarves all cheered merrily to their King, then continued eating.

Beorn shrugged and turned back to Gandalf, "Why did you request my aid?"

"We were rather hoping for safe shelter for a few nights, before we passed through Mirkwood you see," Gandalf said slowly.

"Aye, you will need much rest before setting off into that forest," Beorn said darkly, "There are many beasts in Mirkwood one would not want to face wearily."

"I don't think we want to face them at all, to be honest," Kili muttered.

When they finished dinner – which didn't take the dwarves very long – Beorn stood up from his chair.

"You are welcome to stay," he grumbled, "There is a hall across the corridor where your sleeping quarters will be arranged."

"That is very kind of you indeed, sir," Gandalf bowed his head respectfully, and the rest of the Company followed in suite.

Beorn merely grunted in reply and made towards the door, but he turned around once more and gave them all a wearied glare.

"But beware," he said darkly, "If you stray outside before the sun has risen, be it on your own head."

And with that he left the hall and the sound of the front doors opening and closing roughly echoed down to them.

"Well, he is a cheerful character," Kili said.

* * *

One by one the Company left the table and made their way to the hall across the corridor, where they found the floor full of straw mattresses and thick woolen blankets, and a fire burning in the center of the room.

Though it was summer time, it became quite cold at night in these parts of Middle Earth, and the Company were all very thankful for the large fire burning and the blankets to snuggle into.

Hayden chose a mattress close to the fire, and gratefully slipped underneath the blankets, soaking up the warmth of the flames.

"He was an odd fellow, wasn't he?" Bilbo said sitting down next to her, while all the dwarves had settled down also and had begun conversations between one another.

"I suppose," she shrugged, "I guess he just likes to keep to himself. I don't imagine he would get many visitors."

"That would be quite a horrible existence," Bilbo frowned, "Having no family or friends to turn to."

"Yeah…" Hayden nodded, and suddenly she found Beorn's attitude extremely understandable.

"Oh, I'm sorry Hayden, I forgot-"

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged, "I have all of you now."

"You do," Bilbo smiled warmly.

"May I join you, Miss?" Thorin's voice appeared, standing over Hayden and looking down at her expectantly.

"But of course, good sir," she bowed her head mockingly, "Though I'm afraid you will have to acquire your own mattress."

Thorin grumbled impatiently and disappeared to find a spare mattress.

"I must say I rather like Thorin a lot more when he is around you," Bilbo smiled, observing their conversation.

"Me too," she smiled brightly.

Thorin pulled a mattress next to Hayden and settled down on it, leaning towards her.

"What were we discussing?" he asked, looking from Hayden to Bilbo.

"Nothing," she smiled sweetly.

Thorin eyed her suspiciously, "I stand by what I've always said: you are a tease, Hayden Parker."

"Such is life," she sighed and layed back on her mattress, pulling the blankets over her.

Thorin smirked and leant down to kiss her, his black hair falling like curtains over her face.

"Hey you two!" Kili called from across the room, "No hanky panky business tonight please."

"Yes, do save it for when we're not all in the same room as you," Fili agreed.

"No promises," Hayden laughed, and all the dwarves groaned.

"I'm up for it if you are," Thorin whispered to her, and she laughed and pushed him away. He settled down next to her, his hand on her hip and she ducked her head so that she was leaning into his chest.

The dwarves all began to quiet, snuggling down into their blankets. Soon the only noise that could be heard were the dwarf's snores and the rustling of leaves outside the house, but despite the peaceful surroundings Hayden felt wide-awake, which was crazy considering the amount of travelling they had done that day. She didn't know whether it was the eerie sounds of the wooden house or the fact she was laying so close to Thorin – which always seemed to put her off sleeping.

"Can't sleep?" Thorin asked in a whisper.

"Nope," she said, raising her head to look at him, and she saw a smirk playing on his lips, "What?"

"Fancy making love in the house of a skin-changer?" he proposed.

Hayden considered him, her hand playing with one of the braids in his hair, "Well, it _has_ been a whole day since we first did it…"

"And believe me, that is too long a time," he leant in and kissed her, his hand moving over hip and settling on her behind, which he grabbed and used to pull her closer.

She kissed him back with more hunger, her hands resting on his chest and her bare feet rubbing against his legs. She pushed further towards him and her knee slid near his thighs, causing a slight intake of breath from her when she felt a bulge already growing beneath his pants.

Making up her mind almost immediately Hayden pulled back from him and stood up as quietly as she could, dragging Thorin behind her by the hand.

When they had left the Company's sleeping quarters Thorin spun her around and pinned her up against the nearest wall, his lips parting hers roughly in the pure lust of the moment. His strong hands grabbed at her hips and he pushed his lower half hard against her, and she moaned against his lips. Her hand slid down his chest, caressing his fur coat, until it reached between his thighs and she grasped him through the cloth, rubbing her hand against him.

Thorin growled from deep in his chest, his heart beat escalating considerably, and made to slide his hands up her top but she stopped him.

"Thorin," she breathed heavily, "We can't do it here."

"Why not?" he asked softly, continuing to rub his hands along the bare skin of her stomach.

"Because- because this is a hallway," she said, trying to stay focused.

"Then where do you propose we go?" he asked, and then nodded towards a pair of doors, "There is the food hall."

"Or there's a bathroom," she noticed another room diagonal to them.

"A bathroom?" he wrinkled his face in distaste.

"Oh, so now you're being particular?" she scoffed, "Just then you were willing to do it right here."

"Fine," he grumbled, detaching himself from her and dragging her over to the bathroom, "As long as it does not echo."

"Why?"

"Because I have no intention of being quiet."

She laughed and closed the door behind her, the only light coming from a few candles around the room.

"This is rather romantic," he observed, looking around the small space.

"It is… too bad it will be ruined by our mindless sex," she sighed.

"Such a shame…" he moaned, moving his hands along her waist and pushing her up against a wall, "Now where were we?"

Thorin put his hands on the wall and kissed her, pushing his lower half closer and closer with each deeper kiss.

One by one she removed his layers, throwing them unceremoniously to the ground until he wore nothing but his pants. She caught a finger in his waistband and slowly dropped them to the ground, where he proceeded to flick them off, deepening their kiss.

His hands touched her teasingly and she pulled off her tights and underwear, as fast as she dared without breaking their embrace. She moaned against the strength of his lips and the feel of his naked half pushing against her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist and he held her up against the wall.

Hayden knew she would never tire of this – the pure thrill she felt from simply undressing him and feeling his thick defined chest press up against her.

"I really am the luckiest woman in the world," she broke away from him and smiled, wrapping an arm around his neck and resting her other hand on his chest, "I love you, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin smiled back and traced a finger down her jawline, "I love you, Hayden Parker."

It was a long while after this that Hayden and Thorin snuck silently back into the room where the Company lay sleeping peacefully, settling down in each other's arms for a perfect nights rest.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 30 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	31. Chapter 30 - The House of Beorn

**CHAPTER 30 - THE HOUSE OF BEORN**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews again! I hope you're all enjoying the start of their travels in Middle Earth - I know I'm loving writing it. And I do apologise for the last chapters... all those feels I know! But there are more feels to come believe me ;)**

**To answer a guests question on review if Hayden will get pregnant: it's always a possibility, though I would imagine Hayden being one to come prepared with "protection" if you know what I mean, but you shall have to wait and see in the chapters to come... :)**

**This chapter is the longest I've ever done, as a sort of celebration for reaching 30 chapters. Yay! Enjoy :)**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"So…" Kili said, taking a seat on the grass outside Beorn's house in front of Hayden and smiling sweetly at her, "Anything interesting happen last night?"

"You know now that you mention it something amazing _did_ happen last night," Hayden said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Thorin raise his eyebrows at her from where he sat talking with Dwalin and Gandalf.

"Really?" Kili asked curiously, nodding for her to continue.

"Yeah, it was very interesting…" she continued, "I had dream that for one blessed moment on this freaking journey you _left me alone_!" And she slipped off her boot and jumped on Kili, throttling him with it.

"Ow! Hayden-!" Kili groaned, hiding his face from receiving any blows. She stopped whacking but stayed on top of him, sitting on his chest cross-legged so he couldn't move.

"Why must you insist on prying into every detail of my life?" she whispered furiously to him so no one else could hear.

"Because you make it too easy for me," he whispered back, causing her to frown, "You and Thorin weren't exactly quiet last night."

Hayden's anger collapsed immediately, "_What_? You heard?"

"Everything," Kili smirked, and flicked his hair dramatically, imitating her, "'_Oh, Thorin! I love how you_-"

Hayden quickly shoved her boot in his mouth before he could say anymore, and she smiled sweetly at the rest of the Company, who eyed her with frowns and raised eyebrows.

"_I don't sound like that_," she whispered furiously, "Is that all you heard?"

"Believe me, if I had heard any more I would have buried my head in the dirt by now," Kili said, "I don't know what you go through during that particular 'deed' but just try keep it down next time alright?"

"Wait, wait," Hayden frowned, "What do you mean you _don't know_? Kili have you never-?"

Before she could finish her sentence Kili threw her boot across the lawn and pushed her off him roughly so that she fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"Ow," she groaned, rubbing her side, "Hey, Kili!"

Flicking her hair out of her face she jumped up and ran after Kili, who had begun to stalk down the hill past the rest of the Company.

"Kili!" she half groaned half yelled, jumping over Gandalf's legs along the way, "Sorry Gandalf-"

"Missing something, lass?" Dwalin called, holding up her boot.

"Oh, thanks," she quickly grabbed the boot and slipped it on while sprinting to catch up with Kili.

"Hey!" she finally caught Kili, grabbing his shoulder and running around to face him, "What was that all about?"

"I don't feel like talking about it," Kili grumbled, making to push her hand off but she held him tighter.

"Kili, I don't care about your sex life if that's what you're worried about," she said quickly, "We're friends, and I'm not here to judge you."

Kili bit his lip hard and looked pointedly away from her.

"So you've never had sex before?" Hayden asked slowly after a long silence. Kili nodded subtly, still not meeting her eyes, "What's the big deal?"

"It's not the biggest of ego boosters," he mumbled, "And I- I'm not exactly a woman's first choice for a partner."

Hayden's frowned concernedly, "What makes you say that?"

"I'm not like the other lads – I have never been with a lass, or come close to it, and I don't even have a beard," he finished softly.

"That's not all that women look for in a man… I for one like you much better without a beard," she smiled, and Kili managed a chuckle, "As for the sex, I can tell you from personal experience that some women prefer a man who has never done it before – it makes it more romantic the first time."

"Did you have your first time with Thorin?"

Hayden paused awkwardly, "Not exactly, no… but-"

"Then how do you know that?"

"Because I had female friends," she said, "And believe it or not we talked about this kind of stuff a lot – _that_ is how I know."

Kili sighed and looked towards the ground, apparently still not convinced.

Hayden squeezed his shoulder and tried to catch his gaze, "Kili, all a woman wants is a loyal, caring and sweet gentleman to sweep them off their feet. And I know you are all those things and that some day you will make a woman very happy."

Kili looked up and smiled weakly at her, "You think so?"

"I know so," she nodded, "And if she doesn't know how lucky she is then I will personally knock some sense into her."

Kili laughed and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug.

"Thank you, Hayden," he smiled, "It pays to have a woman travelling with us once in a while."

"Nice to see you're finally appreciating my talents," she curtsied and laughed.

"Lass!" Balin called from atop of the hill, "You're wanted in the dining room."

"I'll be there in a moment!" she replied, then turning back to Kili, "I've been summoned."

"We'll talk later," Kili shrugged.

"You know you can always talk to me about that sort of stuff?" she said sincerely.

"Sure," Kili smiled, and caught her once more before she could walk off, "And thank you, again."

"Any time," she grinned, and ran up the hill to Beorn's house.

* * *

"You called?" Hayden said as she entered the dining room, and paused embarrassed when she realised Beorn was in the room, along with Thorin and Gandalf.

"Ah Hayden, if you wouldn't mind joining us?" Gandalf smiled, gesturing for her to take a seat at the table with them, "We are discussing the passage through Mirkwood."

"Oh," Hayden frowned, "And you need me because…?"

"Why for nothing other than your endless wealth of knowledge!" Gandalf said enthusiastically, winking at her.

"I do believe there was a hint of sarcasm in that," Hayden pretended to glare at him but a smile broke through it and she took a seat beside Thorin.

"Beorn was just enlightening Master Thorin and myself of his journey last night, he found-" Gandalf stopped and sighed, "Am I wasting my breath?"

"Just a little bit," she smirked.

"Then let us move on," Gandalf cleared his throat, "The passage through Mirkwood."

"Will not be an easy one," Beorn said, and Hayden nearly jumped. Beorn had been sitting silently watching and she had quite forgotten he was there, "I should persuade you to take another route."

"Aye, but it is the fastest that leads to Erebor," Thorin said, "And we need as much time as we can spare."

"That we do," Gandalf agreed, "Durin's Day is almost upon us."

"Durin's Day?" Beorn raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"The Dwarvish new year," Hayden answered. Beorn looked curiously at Hayden but did not comment, continuing to listen as Gandalf spoke again.

"The passage through Mirkwood must be quick and silent," Gandalf continued, "There are foul beasts in that forest one would not want to wake."

"And that is the least of your problems," Beorn grumbled, "Water is not easy to find and I doubt very much you would come across anything wholesome to eat."

"Too right you are," Gandalf nodded heavily.

"I will provide you with the supplies you need; water packs, food and what not… the rest you will have to find on your travels," Beorn added.

"That is very kind of you," Gandalf smiled appreciatively, "If there is anything we can do-"

"No," the man said quickly, "You rid the Mountain of the Great Goblin – I think you've done enough."

Hayden couldn't tell whether Beorn was happy about this or not, but Gandalf smiled and bowed his head, so she figured it wasn't a snap at the Company… at least she hoped not.

"How long until Durin's Day?" Hayden asked – she had quite lost track of the date since her arrival in Middle Earth, without having her phone to rely on for it.

"At least a month," Thorin replied, "Enough time to pass through Mirkwood and Dale."

Hayden exchanged a nervous glance with Gandalf, and their eyes met for a moment, apparently thinking the same thing. Mirkwood and Dale were not the only places they would be passing through, nor would their travels be uneventful. Hayden had to wonder whether they would make it to the Lonely Mountain in time to find the hidden door.

"And speaking of your travels," Gandalf sighed, "I will be parting with the Company come our leave."

"I'm sorry?" Thorin frowned.

"I have other matters to attend to – important matters at that," Gandalf said thoughtfully, "But I shall meet with you all again, possibly after you pass through Mirkwood…" He exchanged another glance with Hayden, "… or after that."

"I do not understand," Thorin said, his voice rising, "You are apart of our Company, you agreed to aid our journey."

"I know, Thorin," Gandalf sighed, "But other important issues have arisen – I am sure Hayden will enlighten you when there is time."

"You knew of this?" Thorin turned on Hayden.

"Why are you so surprised about that?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I would have thought you'd have had the decency to inform me that our wizard would be disappearing _yet again_," Thorin said through barred teeth.

"It wasn't my place to tell," she said quickly, "I don't know why you're annoyed, it's not like he disappears for no good reason."

"It certainly seems that way," Thorin snapped.

"Well it's not," she snapped back, "And I can tell you right now that if Gandalf didn't disappear your quest wouldn't be happening right now, so try give him a little more respect for what he does because it's definitely not out of selfishness."

Thorin stood up abruptly, a sour expression on his face. "We leave at dawn," he said to no one in particular and left the room.

Hayden groaned and rubbed a hand over her eyes, "Shit."

"I appreciate you supporting my cause, Hayden," Gandalf said, "But I do not expect you to argue with Thorin over such a thing."

"We would argue whether it was about that or not," she sighed, "He's just _impossible_ sometimes… he really doesn't understand-"

"He understands," Beorn grunted, "He is simply too arrogant to show it."

Hayden sighed – it must be true if the overly large anti-social man noticed it. She stood up from her seat, planning on finding Thorin immediately.

"Do not be too rough with him," Gandalf said before she left the room.

Hayden smirked, "Well I _was_ planning on beating some sense into him, but now you say that I might just talk to him."

"That may be the better solution," Gandalf smiled.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Hayden asked, approaching where Thorin stood alone looking out onto the bee pastures.

"What?"

"Oh, I don't know, how you stormed out of the dining room like a kid?" she offered, crossing her arms over her chest and standing in front of him.

"I will not have you reprimand me in front of my allies," Thorin said sharply, "I have lost enough respect over my lifetime, I do not need to lose more from being humiliated by you."

"What did you expect me to do, Thorin? Let you snap at Gandalf for doing something for the good of the entire world?"

"I expect you to let _me_ handle the business."

"While I do what? Sit in my chair and look pretty?"

"When I am King, yes."

"So because I'm a woman I'm not allowed to have an opinion?"

"No, because you are _my_ woman and your opinion should not counter my own."

"Thorin, we may be together but I don't belong to you and I sure as hell will have my own opinion if I want to-"

"I _will not_ be reprimanded by a _woman_!" he snapped loudly.

"A _woman_?" she almost scoffed.

"Yes, a _woman_," he spat.

"Don't call me that!" she groaned angrily, "It's so demeaning!"

"You _are_ a woman, Hayden Parker-"

"Really? I hadn't noticed – last time I checked I swear to god I had a freaking _dick_," she spat sarcastically, "And you know last night I swear _you_ had a dick, but from how you acted before I guess I was mistaken about that as well."

"_Do not_ talk to me in that way," he growled.

"I defended Gandalf because he's doing what's right – he's a smart man and I'm sure if he didn't have to leave he wouldn't."

"Do not pretend that you know what goes through that wizard's mind."

"I don't – but I know where he's going and what he's doing and he doesn't need a fully grown man like you on his case about it all the time."

Thorin glared at her silently and shook his head, "I am done. This discussion is over."

"What?" she gaped, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around to face her as he began to walk away, "You can't just end an argument like _that_."

"I can and I will," he snapped.

"Just because you have no home and you've lost your family doesn't mean you can go around treating people like shit! You're royal by blood Thorin, but you're not a King yet," the words spilled out of Hayden's mouth before she could stop herself. Her anger that had been spinning out of control came crushing down on her when she realised what she had said.

Thorin's jaw clenched tightly together and his eyes dropped to the ground.

"Oh, Thorin, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" she made to step towards him but he took a step back away from her.

"I said this discussion is over," he said, but the bite in his voice had disappeared. Without another word he turned around and walked back up to Beorn's house.

Hayden stood uncomfortably alone on the grass for a moment before making her way back to the house aswell, cursing her own stupidity under her breath.

* * *

"Why does Gandalf have to go, Hayden? Bilbo asked Hayden, taking a seat next to her in the sleeping quarters.

It was just after dinner, and the Company had begun to settle down for their last night in Beorn's house, ready for a long and dangerous journey ahead of them through Mirkwood. Thorin and Hayden sat on mattresses on opposite sides of the room, and had not spoken or even glanced at one another since their fight that afternoon.

"Oh, I really don't know if I should tell you," she said, playing distractedly with a loose thread on her shirt.

"Go on, Hayden," Fili grinned, "What's the old wizard up to?"

Hayden considered the Company for a moment, as they had all leant forward curiously to see what she had to say – all of them that was, except Thorin.

"If you must know," she sighed, "He's travelling to Dol Guldur with the White Council."

"Dol Guldur?" they shivered.

Hayden saw Thorin look up at the mention of the name.

"You remember how I said Radagast the Brown found a relic of Mordor there?" she asked, continuing when they nodded, "Well it was brought there by a necromancer, which is who the White Council intends of ridding of."

The Company began to mutter between themselves.

"Well that certainly seems like a good enough reason to be leaving us," Bofur shrugged, casually smoking on his pipe.

"Some would think so," Hayden said quietly. She rested her head back onto the wall and closed her eyes, trying to rid of a headache that had been pulsing through her forehead for the better half of the day.

"Are you alright, Hayden?" Bilbo asked.

Hayden opened her eyes and shook her head slightly, "Yeah, fine – I might go grab a water… do you want anything?"

"No thank you," Bilbo said, still watching her concernedly, "Would you like me to come with you?"

"That's alright, get some rest," she said, groaning slightly as she stood up and a wave of nausea hit her.

"Too much to drink, Hayden?" Fili smirked.

"Har-har," she laughed sarcastically, putting a hand on her forehead, "If I collapse I'm blaming you."

She made towards the door but stopped when Dwalin called out to her.

"Where you going, lass?"

"To get a drink," she frowned, her headache becoming worse.

"You'll be right by yourself?" Dwalin asked.

"I'm just going across the hall," she shrugged, "But thank you for your concern, Dwalin." She grinned at the dwarf and received a grunt in reply before she left the room.

The hallway was dark, only lit by a few candles, which she had neglected to notice the night before, obviously too distracted by-

She shook her head violently, earning another throb in her head, trying to rid her thoughts of Thorin… she knew she had said the wrong thing to him, but that didn't make what he had done or said any better.

It was times like these she hated her personality, because it would definitely be easier if she just apologised to him first. But she was way too proud and stubborn to give in, and so was he, both determined to prove their argument was the right one.

"You should be sleeping, woman," a deep voice came from the end of the table as Hayden entered the dining room, and she jumped violently.

A candle sparked, and the face of Beorn appeared through the darkness.

"I'm sorry- I didn't realise anyone was in here," she said quickly, standing nervously near the table.

"It is alright," Beorn grunted, "What were you in need of?"

"A water- if you don't mind," she said, watching as Beorn stood up and took a rather large tankard and filled it with water from a barrel.

"Did you persuade your husband?" the man asked, watching her carefully.

Hayden almost choked on the water, "He- he's not my husband."

"My apologies, I merely assumed-"

"Oh no we are together- engaged actually," she frowned, "Or at least we were..."

"You argued?" Beorn asked, and she noted the curiosity in his deep voice.

"Yes… but we wouldn't have if he hadn't been such a pompous idiot," she growled under her breath, and she was surprised to hear Beorn chuckle for the first time.

"You are not intimidated by him like your other companions," Beorn stated, once he had finished laughing.

"Of course not," she scoffed, "Thorin comes across as threatening but in reality he's no better than any other man… well, to other people anyway…"

"You should talk to him, he seems stubborn enough to let an argument last a lifetime."

"You have no idea," Hayden muttered, "But then I can't say anything; apparently I'm just as stubborn… god knows we'd both be on our death beds before we gave into one another."

Beorn watched her considerately, "If you love him then an argument should not stand in the way of that."

Hayden sighed and filled up the tankard with water once again.

"Thank you for the water," she said and added with a smirk, "And the life advice."

"Any time," he grunted back, "And if your headache persists there are healing remedies in the kitchens you are welcome to use."

"How did you-?"

But Beorn had already disappeared before Hayden could finish her question.

Frowning and shaking her head, Hayden made her way back to the hall, deciding to take Beorn's advice. She would talk to Thorin, but she would make it perfectly clear she wasn't backing down from her argument.

When she came back into the sleeping quarters the Company were still wide awake, sitting around and talking, and she swore she saw them all exhale in relief as she appeared in the room again. Scanning around and noticing Thorin in a conversation with Dwalin, she dodged in between the sleeping bags and dwarves towards him.

"Thorin, can-" she began and stopped, frowning as her headache hit her harder than before, pounding down on her head.

Thorin looked when he heard his name and leapt up immediately, noticing the pain in Hayden's expression. In a split second, the tankard fell from Hayden's grasp, her knees gave way and she collapsed to the floor, with Thorin only managing to reach her in time to catch her.

* * *

Hayden woke feeling dazed and confused, and the first thing she thought was how Middle Earth was making her extremely prone to collapsing. Without opening her eyes, she frowned and raised a hand to her forehead. Her headache was gone and so was the nausea, much to her relief. She had not been worried about them at first, but she had to admit she wasn't one to get sick very often.

"God I miss Panadol," she mumbled, opening her eyes for the first time. She was in a bed – a very large bed at that – and beside her sat Thorin, watching her concernedly with a frown on his face.

"How do you feel?" he asked, leaning forward and placing a warm hand on her forehead.

"Fine," she said, sitting up slowly, "What happened?"

"You collapsed, quite unexpectedly," he said, still frowning, "Beorn offered you his bed to rest in for the night – it seems you made quite the impression on him."

"Oh…" she said, looking curiously around at the room.

"Would you care to tell me what happened?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I- I went to get a water because of my headache and he was in the dining room and we talked for a little while," she said, trying to remember as she went along, "He convinced me to talk to you and that's what I was going to do until… well until I fainted- _again_."

"You were going to talk to me?" he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"You don't have to look so pleased about it," she said. Apparently he had been thinking the same thing about their stubbornness as her, "But yes… I was going to apologise for what I said… It was out of line and-"

"Do not worry yourself," he sighed, "It was my fault – I should not have spoken to Gandalf in that way."

"Shit happens," she muttered, rubbing her eyes and yawning, "Did you get any sleep?"

"Hardly," he said quietly, "I was too worried about you to even think about it."

"With all the travel we have to do? Thorin that's stupid," she frowned reproachfully.

"I will survive," he shrugged, leaning forward and grasping her hand, "I am merely glad you are safe."

He kissed her hand gently and Hayden smiled, controlling her desire to pull him onto the bed with her.

"What would I do without you?" she breathed, squeezing his hand.

"You would definitely injure yourself more often from fainting," he smirked, "Because I wouldn't be there to catch you."

"Shut up," she grumbled, leaning forward to grab his chin and kiss him.

* * *

They did not waste a single minute that day, spending the entire morning preparing for the journey; packing the food that Beorn had gathered for them and readying for the long trek ahead.

Halfway through their packing, Gandalf approached their group in the warm morning sun and bid them goodbye, planning on setting out on his journey as early as he could so he could return to them faster.

Thorin still didn't seem too pleased with the idea of losing his Company's wizard, but he shook Gandalf's hand nonetheless.

"Ride swiftly, wizard," Thorin told Gandalf, "We will be needing you, no doubt."

"I will return as soon as I can," Gandalf said heavily, "But you have what you need to get through Mirkwood."

"Aye," Thorin nodded, looking around at the dwarves packing their belongings.

"Goodbye, Bilbo," Gandalf smiled warmly to the hobbit, who had been looking quite crestfallen since the news of Gandalf's soon departure had spread.

"Right- goodbye Gandalf," Bilbo nodded with a nervous smile, holding out a small hand to the wizard, who shook it with a knowing smile.

"Do not worry yourself, Master Baggins," Gandalf smirked, "The Company will take good care of you – and if they do not, you always have Hayden."

"Thank goodness for that," Bilbo half laughed.

"Farewell, Hayden my dear," Gandalf turned lastly to Hayden, who smiled weakly to him. She knew he had to go, but that didn't mean she liked the idea of travelling without him any more.

"Bye, Gandalf," she said, and stepped forward to give him a tight hug, "Please be careful."

Gandalf chuckled and bent down so that he was eye level with her, and put a warm hand on her shoulder.

"I am trusting you Hayden, to guide their journey," Gandalf said in a hushed voice, his eyes piercing hers, "Should anything go wrong we both know what the consequences will be."

"I know," she nodded, taking a deep breath.

"If all is to go as planned then it will be a long time until I next see you all," he continued, "But the others must not know that – I fear it would only lower their spirits."

"Of course."

"Stay safe, my dear," he gently squeezed her shoulder, "And keep an eye on Thorin."

"Two eyes, as often as I can spare them," she smirked and Gandalf nodded and straightened up, unaware that she had just quoted his future self.

"Until we meet again my friends," Gandalf called to them as he walked away, raising a hand in farewell.

After that the Company was unusually quiet and forlorn, already dreading the journey ahead of them without their wizard as guidance. Before they were to leave, Beorn met with them one last time, offering his last bits of advice and even lending them ponies that they could ride until the edge of Mirkwood.

When he offered Hayden a pony however, she politely refused.

"Um, I don't really _ride_," she looked at the pony in distaste.

"Nonsense!" Beorn cried, "A brave young lass like you, surly you can manage to ride a pony?"

She gave a nervous laugh and hesitantly took the reins of the pony, shooting Fili and Kili a warning glare before they could make any comment.

"Need some help?" Thorin smirked.

"Please," she said thankfully. Thorin hoisted her up onto the pony and she sat on it unsteadily.

"Have you ever ridden a horse on your own before, lass?" Dwalin asked, riding up beside her.

"No," she shook her head and eyed the ponies head wearily, "I never really planned on it either."

The pony shifted its head a little and she almost fell off it in shock, causing a few chuckles and smirks between the dwarves.

"Oh yeah, laugh it up," she mocked, then added under her breath, "You won't be laughing so hard when the spiders get you..."

"What was that, Parker?" Kili asked curiously.

"Nothing," she said quickly, grinning at him.

"Don't feel too bad, Hayden," Bilbo said as he approached on his pony, "I was not too fond of them when I first rode, but you get used to them."

"Maybe I wasn't clear enough, Bilbo," she said slowly, "The pony at the orphanage used to _bite_ me – that's a pretty freaking traumatizing experience."

"Orphanage?" Beorn's voice sounded curiously, as he walked around the group placing water sacks into the packages that hung off the pony's saddles.

Hayden sighed, wondering if people just repeated the word to annoy her, "Yes, orphanage."

"Water is not easy to find in Mirkwood, nor food," Beorn said as he walked, "The supplies I have given you should last you the trip, if you eat scarce."

The dwarves all grumbled miserably – when they ate they rarely did so scarcely.

"And if you do come across a stream that appears black and strong, I cannot stress enough that you do not drink or bathe in it," the man continued heavily.

"Why is that?" Bilbo asked nervously.

"It contains a special enchantment that will make you drowsy and forgetful, two things you do not want to be while in Mirkwood."

The dwarves shifted uncomfortable on their ponies.

"That is all the advice I can give you," Beorn stood in front of them all, raising himself to his full height, "This passage depends on your luck, courage and the supplies I have given you."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Hayden smiled, "We really appreciate it."

"Aye, we shall not forget your generosity," Thorin added, bowing his head to Beorn in respect.

"Do not mention it," Beorn nodded gruffly, "You are all more than welcome in my home should your travels ever lead you here again."

Beorn began to walk ahead of them, but stopped and turned back with a small smile on his face, looking from Thorin to Hayden.

"Or perhaps you would consider visiting for your honeymoon after the wedding?"

Hayden sighed and pursed her lips, "Yep, there it is…" Shaking her head as she looked at Thorin, who had a similar reaction.

A brown moneybag flew over their heads and Beorn caught it skillfully, chuckling to himself as he began to walk ahead. The rest of the Company, also laughing, followed in his wake.

"You know I was beginning to wonder whether you had given up on your little _oath_," Hayden said, turning around slightly on her pony to where she new Fili and Kili were. They grinned brightly at her as they began to make their way down the path, following the Company and Beorn.

"Of course not," Kili said, "A dwarf never backs out of an oath."

"And I suppose you believe you are rather clever," Thorin said, "Bribing our allies to say such things, in hopes of embarrassing Hayden and myself?"

"Oh we know we are clever, uncle," Fili shrugged, "And we also know that it does embarrasses you."

"Correction, it _did_ embarrass us," Hayden smirked.

"What do you mean?" Kili and Fili said in unison, frowns appearing where their smirks had once been.

"It would pain you very much to know," Thorin said, a grin slowly forming, "That Hayden and I are engaged to be married."

All expression slipped from the young dwarves faces and they stared open mouthed, looking from Thorin to Hayden, then Hayden to Thorin again.

"Is this a joke?" Kili gaped.

"When did this happen?" Fili asked quickly.

"About two nights ago," Hayden shrugged.

"And you didn't tell us?" Fili glared accusingly at his uncle.

"We didn't want to distract anyone from the quest," Hayden said, "Or ruin your oath for that matter."

"But this is brilliant!" Kili grinned happily, "Now you are officially going to be our aunt!"

"No! No, no," Hayden shook her head quickly, "Still just Hayden."

"Whatever you say, Aunt Hayden," Fili muttered with a smirk, nudging his pony so that it now trotted alongside Hayden's, "I am very happy for you Hayden, now you really will be our family."

"Thank you," she smiled genuinely.

"But this does not mean our oath disappears," Kili said quickly, "We made a pact and we shall stand by it!"

"Aye, brother," Fili agreed, "Not until every soul in Middle Earth is in on this joke!"

Hayden sighed, gripping her reins tighter as her pony flipped its head back. She entertained herself by imagining Fili and Kili trying to bribe Smaug into the joke, as a way of distracting herself from the animal she sat on, and had to stifle a laugh at the thought.

The Company travelled down a short path until they saw Beorn had stopped in front of a large gate, opening it so they could pass through, nodding respectfully to the man and giving their personal thanks.

"Your passage through Mirkwood will not be easy," Beorn called to them, "Whatever you do, _do not_ stray off the path for any reason."

"Thank you again, Beorn," Hayden smiled as she passed, "I hope we will see each other again."

"Perhaps, my lady," he smiled warmly, bowing his head to her and Thorin as they passed into the Wild.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 31 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	32. Chapter 31 - Interlude

**CHAPTER 31 - INTERLUDE: I'M NOT ANGRY ANYMORE**

**The first interlude of the story! This is from Thorin's p.o.v. during the Company's second night in Beorn's house. We haven't seen from Thorin's view in a while so I think it's about to time we explored the grumpy thoughts of Thorin Oakenshield. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Thorin sat with his back resting against the wall in the sleeping quarters of Beorn's house, looking anywhere but where Hayden sat.

He was annoyed – both at Hayden and himself.

He knew it was wrong of him to take his anger out on the wizard, but he was adamant he was right. Gandalf was one of the main instigators of this journey after all, and this was the second time he was leaving them. For the good of the world or not, Gandalf's priority should have been with the Company and only the Company.

And to make the matter worst Hayden had sided with the wizard, even defended him, making Thorin look like a child.

He hated that about her. How she always thought she knew what was right and what was best in every situation, just because she had read a few books.

What would she know? She's only twenty-two after all, a child in a dwarf's eyes. But she wasn't a child. She was a mature woman, and a strong opinionated one at that.

And argument or not he couldn't bring himself to regret asking for her hand in marriage. She was the one. And he had known it since he first layed eyes on her.

He had been preparing for that one moment as soon as they had left England and it had gone perfectly, if he did say so himself. Though he hadn't planned on it being so soon, he knew it was the right time after they had spent that glorious hour in the lake together.

His heart fluttered in a way it never had before when he thought of the two nights they had spent together. He had never had a woman like that before, and the burning desire and love that was released from him both times was enough to want to apologise to Hayden at once and take her in the bathroom again. But he had more pride than to do that. After all, it was clear she was no closer to talking to him than he was to her.

"What was the argument about this time?" Dwalin asked Thorin, taking a seat opposite him.

Thorin grunted an incoherent reply, indicating he was in no mood to discuss it.

"Come now," Dwalin said, clapping Thorin roughly on his shoulder, "You look troubled cousin."

"I am always troubled when it comes to that woman," Thorin sighed, his eyes quickly darting across Hayden.

"No, you are always _troubled_," Dwalin smirked lightly, "It is _that woman_ who makes you better."

Thorin pursed his lips and finally looked at Dwalin, one of his oldest friends. Perhaps it was time to tell someone…

"If I tell you something," Thorin began quietly, "You must swear to tell no one else."

Dwalin frowned but nodded, "I swear – what is it?"

"I… I asked Hayden to marry me," Thorin said in a voice close to a whisper.

Dwalin took a moment to process this and his frown deepened, "And is this why you are not talking?"

"What-? No," Thorin shook his head quickly, and he couldn't help but smile, "She said yes."

Dwalin's face broke into a bright grin and he chuckled quietly, clapping Thorin on the arm once again.

"Thank Durin," Dwalin grinned, "For a moment I thought you were going to say she said no. I am happy for you, Thorin."

"Thank you," Thorin smiled appreciatively.

"But why are you not sharing this news with the others?" Dwalin asked curiously.

"We did not want to distract them from the journey ahead," Thorin explained.

"They will find out sooner or later," Dwalin pointed out.

"I know," Thorin shrugged, "But until then it shall be our secret."

"Right," Dwalin nodded sharply, and watched Thorin carefully as his gaze moved slowly to Hayden, whose head was leaning against the wall and her hand resting on her forehead in pain.

"I know you don't like to hear it," Dwalin said gruffly, "But you should not let your pride get in the way of your feelings for Hayden."

"My _pride_ has a tendency to get in the way of most things," Thorin replied stiffly, his eyes still glued to Hayden.

"This is not a war or a quest we are speaking of, cousin," Dwalin said, "This is your future wife, and our future Queen… remember that."

Thorin was about to turn his head and reply when he saw Hayden stand up from the ground shakily, and she swayed dangerously, her hand still clutching her forehead. He had a sudden urge to rush over and help her, to hold her and ask her what was wrong, but his pride stopped him. So he settled to just watching her closely.

"She is not well," Dwalin observed, watching Hayden aswell.

"It would seem so," Thorin said gruffly.

"You should go with her," Dwalin said, and Thorin noted a touch of worry in his voice that Hayden was to leave the room alone, "Talk to her."

Thorin hesitated for a moment, debating on following her out, but he declined at the last minute. Dwalin seemed to notice this and took matters into his own hands.

"Where you going, lass?" Dwalin called to her.

"To get a drink," Hayden said with a frown.

"You'll be right by yourself?" Dwalin asked.

"I'm just going across the hall," she shrugged, "But thank you for your concern, Dwalin."

Hayden gave Dwalin a thankful smile which sent Thorin's heart pounding and she left the room, with Thorin carefully observing her as she walked away.

"She is a fighter," Dwalin said, "There is no doubting that."

"I would expect nothing less of her," Thorin replied softly.

"I am glad you asked her, Thorin," Dwalin said and Thorin frowned at him, "To marry you, that is."

"Why is that?"

"If we are to pass through the villages of men and elves she will not go unnoticed, as we have always said," Dwalin explained, "It may protect her more than anything if men know she is to be married to the King Under the Mountain."

Thorin nodded but stayed silent, feeling a mixture of disgust and anger when he thought of any other man even thinking about Hayden in that way, let alone laying a hand on her.

"You need not worry, cousin," Thorin said confidently, "I would give my life before I let any _filth_ touch her."

"It is not just her I worry about," Dwalin said considerately, giving Thorin a worried look.

"Do not worry about me," Thorin shrugged, "I have managed to live this long, have I not?"

"I suppose-" Dwalin said, but broke off, turning towards the door and frowning deeply.

"Thorin, can-"

At the sound of his name Thorin spun around and his heart leapt when he saw it was Hayden walking towards him. That feeling quickly disappeared when he noticed she did not look right.

He stood up quickly and made towards her, dodging through the dwarves and sleeping bags, and as he watched the tankard she was holding slipped out of her hands and her knees gave way. Thorin leapt forward and caught her in his arms just as she was about to hit the ground.

"Hayden?" he said in a panic, kneeling on the ground and touching her face.

Oin was next to stand up, quickly making his way to where Thorin was crouched and kneeling on the opposite side of Hayden. He put a gentle hand on her forehead and then down to her neck, checking her pulse.

"She is just unconscious," Oin observed, "We need water and somewhere to lay her."

"She may use my room."

It seemed the entire Company jumped when they heard the surprise voice sound from the door to their quarters. Beorn stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, and Thorin was confused to see he was looking worriedly at Hayden.

"That will not be necessary-" Thorin began, but Gloin interrupted him.

"That is very kind of you," Gloin said, giving Thorin a meaningful look, "The lass will need a soft place to sleep where we can keep an eye on her."

Thorin pursed his lips and looked from Beorn to the Company, who all apparently were in agreement with Gloin.

Nodding stiffly, he stood up, cradling Hayden in his arms and followed the man out of the room to another off the corridor.

The room was large, and contained a bed that almost filled the entire space. Beorn was first inside, allowing Thorin through after him, and Oin closely followed. Being the healer of the group, Oin felt it his responsibility to make sure Hayden was safe.

"She can rest here for the night," Beorn said gruffly, watching Hayden carefully, which unnerved Thorin.

"Thank you," Thorin said reluctantly, "You met with her when she left our quarters, did you not?"

"Aye," Beorn grunted, "She is a nice young lady; I would hate to see anything happen to her…"

Thorin frowned at this and looked down at Hayden, sleeping peacefully on the bed with a small frown sketched into her brow.

"Keep her safe Thorin Oakenshield," Beorn said and then left the room without another word.

"She will be alright?" Thorin asked worriedly, shaking off Beorn's comment.

"Aye, she will," Oin said, "T'was just a faint is all."

"Perhaps she was tired," Thorin said absentmindedly.

"Perhaps…" Oin said, and Thorin thought he saw the dwarf's eyes trail worriedly over Hayden's body, looking for any sign of the sudden illness.

"Thank you for your help, Oin," Thorin said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Of course," Oin nodded with a smile, "Anything for the lass… if you need me I will be with the others."

"Right," Thorin said, pulling up a chair next to the bed and sitting down. He leant forward and took Hayden's hand in his, rubbing it gently with his thumb and preparing himself for yet another sleepless night.

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 32 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	33. Chapter 32 - Plus One

**CHAPTER 32 - PLUS ONE**

**Here is the next chapter! Let me just say, I've loved reading all your reviews and guesses about Hayden's possible condition. All shall be revealed in this chapter :)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Beorn had warned the Company that the path to Mirkwood was often used by Goblins, so when they began their travels they stayed as quiet as possible, the only sound being the clopping of hooves on the road.

Hayden had a fair amount of advice from Bilbo on how to direct the pony, seeing as she had no idea how to ride one. And when it did start galloping along the path her hands turned white from holding onto the reins as tightly as she could.

"Relax your grip," Thorin advised her, "You are not going to fall off."

"How do you know?" she asked nervously.

"You won't," he said confidently, "I will always be there to catch you."

"That's comforting," she smiled, and relaxed her grip a tiny bit on the reins.

"Oh that's so sweet," Fili sniffed mockingly, his horse galloping beside Hayden's.

"Why haven't you ever said something like that to us?" Kili questioned his uncle.

"We are your own blood!" Fili said reprovingly.

"And I've cursed that every day," Thorin sighed and Hayden smirked at him, which he was quick to return. When he had turned back to watch the road ahead Hayden continued to watch him with satisfaction. She found herself wishing that she were in the position of his pony-

_Oh lord, Hayden, get a grip of yourself!_ She told herself, quickly ending that trail of thought. _Honestly, what has Thorin done to me?_

"So, dear Hayden," Fili grinned, rudely awakening Hayden from her fantasies, "Now you're going to be apart of our lovely family we should probably get to know you."

"Are you mental?" she scoffed, "I think we know each other well enough."

"We know you, yes," Kili said, "But we don't _know_ you."

Hayden shared a worried glance with Thorin, lost as to what they were getting at.

"Just the little things," Fili said casually.

"Like…?"

"When is your birthday?" Ori asked, and Hayden suddenly became painfully aware that the entire Company was now listening to their conversation.

"November 25th."

"Why that's not that far from Thorin's, lass," Balin observed, "His is the twelfth of December."

"No kidding?" she smirked, looking interestedly at Thorin, who looked just as surprised as she was.

"We should have a joint party!" Kili grinned excitedly.

"Oh joy," Hayden sighed, "I look forward to that…"

"What is the place you most want to visit in Middle Earth?" Fili asked.

"The Shire," she said almost immediately.

"_Why_?" Kili frowned, "No offence Bilbo."

"Not at all," Bilbo said, though he did frown at Kili.

"Because I imagine it would be absolutely beautiful," she said, almost sighing from the mental image, "Rolling hills, grass, peace and quiet…"

"_Boring_," Kili muttered, "Next question: what's your name?"

"What?"

"Your _full _name?" Kili reworded his question, "I know many of you humans have a tendency to acquire long names."

"Hayden Leslie Parker," she stated, "Not very long though, I'm afraid."

"Hm, it has a nice ring to it," Fili said thoughtfully, repeating her name, and Kili joined him with the same expression, which made her laugh.

"If you could meet anyone who would it be?" Kili asked, once again.

"Anyone?" she asked, and Kili nodded, "My father."

There was a short pause where the Company seemed unsure what to say in reply to this.

"But I suppose if we're talking about someone well known it would be J.R.R. Tolkien," she said quickly, filling in the awkward silence.

"Who's that?" Oin asked.

"The author of _the Hobbit_," she grinned, "He died before I was born but I would have loved to have met him – he seemed like such an interesting man."

"Well of course he was an interesting man – he wrote about _us_ didn't he?" Fili grinned arrogantly.

"And thank heavens he did," Hayden smiled, "I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't."

"May I ask a question, Hayden?" Bilbo asked, a few ponies behind her.

"Ask away, Bilbo."

"Do you regret not doing anything before you left your home?"

Hayden smiled to herself; she had thought a lot about this in her own time, and she already knew what her answer was.

"I do regret _one_ thing," she said, trying to bite back a grin when she saw Thorin stare even more interestedly at her, "I regret not taking a picture of me and Thorin together and sending a copy to every woman in the world – and I would write on the back of each photo: '_suck it, he's all mine now._'"

She started laughing before she could help herself, falling forward on her pony and clutching her stomach in fits of laughter. Though they had no idea why she was laughing, the Company soon joined in with her, simply because it was such a joyous sound to hear.

"Why on earth would you do that?" Kili asked, watching with amusement as Hayden tried to recover from her laughter.

"As soon as the movie was aired it seemed like every woman on the entire planet had an obsession with Thorin. And I would just love to have seen their reactions," she explained, "That out of all the women in the world I was the one who got him."

She looked over at Thorin and saw he was smiling, looking down at his legs while he listened to her. When he noticed she had stopped talking he met her gaze and chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"How long will it take to reach Mirkwood?" she asked – she was getting quickly sick of riding this pony. Not surprisingly she would have preferred walking to this.

"At least three days," Thorin said, "If we travel fast."

"_Three days_?" she almost yelled.

"Is that a problem?" Thorin raised a curious eyebrow.

"No," she quickly shook her head, "I'm just- just worried about making it to Erebor by Durin's Day."

"Do not worry," he assured her, "We have time."

"Aye lass," Dwalin grunted from behind, "There is but a weeks journey to Dale from the forest, and less than that to Erebor."

"Right…" Hayden nodded, still not entirely convinced.

"Is there something you would like to share, Hayden?" Thorin asked, watching her curiously.

"Hm? Uh… well actually-"

"Oi!" Gloin called from the back of the group, "Someone's approaching."

Thorin spun around on his horse quickly, "Off the road!"

They followed his orders and led their ponies hurriedly off the road into the shrubbery on the edges. Hayden watched what the others were doing so she knew how to steer her pony in the right direction.

She was one of the last off the road, because her pony just didn't want to cooperate with her. But just as Thorin was about to ride back out to help her she stopped all together, turning around to look at the road curiously.

The sound of whatever was approaching was becoming louder, but it sounded rather _different_ to her.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, Parker?" Kili whispered hurriedly.

"Hayden, come," Thorin said, holding out his hand to her, but she continued to stare out at the road.

"Hayden!" Thorin almost growled.

Then it appeared.

Large animals running in a line formation came bounding around the corner, a man on a sled sort of object following them.

Hayden grinned immediately when she realised who it was. The animals leading the sled were in fact rabbits – Rhosgobel Rabbits to be exact. Though she had never met him in person, his features were so unique that she would have recognised him anywhere.

When the man, dressed in a dirty brown robe with unkempt grey hair, noticed Hayden and Thorin in the middle of the road he halted immediately, watching them wearily though not making any sudden movements.

"You know him?" Thorin asked Hayden, his eyes also carefully trailing the man.

"It's Radagast the Brown," she said, unable to keep a smile from her face, "He's apart of Gandalf's order."

"You are sure?"

"Positive," she nodded confidently and slipped off her pony.

"Hayden-" Thorin began in protest.

"It's alright," she said calmly, "Just wait here while I talk to him."

Hayden began to walk towards Radagast, who was still watching them closely. She had no idea what she was doing, planning on making it up as she went, but she didn't want Thorin scaring him off before she could speak to the wizard, which was why she had insisted to see him alone.

"Hello," she said nervously once she had reached the group of rabbits huddling around the wizard, "My name is Hayden Parker."

She paused, waiting for Radagast to reply. When he just continued to stare blankly at her she decided to continue.

"I'm traveling with a Company of thirteen dwarves and a hobbit," she said slowly, "And we did have a wizard companion, I think you know him – Gandalf the Grey?"

At this Radagast widened his eyes and stepped hesitantly down from his sled, approaching her cautiously.

"You are traveling with Gandalf?" Radagast asked, in a surprisingly shaky high voice.

"We _were_, yes," she nodded.

Radagast sighed in relief; "I have been on your trail since you left the Hidden Valley. Tell me where is Gandalf, my lady, for I must speak with him."

"He left us only recently," she said, "Last time I saw him he was on his way to Dol Guldur with the White Council."

"Dol Guldur?" Radagast asked, "Then they must know… but how…?"

"Uh, I can't exactly tell you that," Hayden said with a shaky laugh, "Listen Radagast do-"

"How do you know my name?" he asked suspiciously.

"Gandalf told me," she quickly lied, "He also told me you might be carrying something important with you? Something you found in Dol Guldur?"

Radagast stared at her with an open mouth, processing the fact she knew everything she shouldn't.

"I know it sounds suspicious and you don't know me," she said hurriedly, "But I'm a good friend of Gandalf's and he trusted me to look over this journey, and to do that I need to know - do you have the Morgul-blade?"

Radagast stared at her for another long moment and then he turned away from her to rummage through a bag on his sled. When he finally straightened up he was holding a long brown package.

"I found it in Dol Guldur..." Radagast said darkly, "Along with the spirit of a-"

"Necromancer," she finished, and he gave her another quizzical stare.

The wizard flicked away the brown cloth to reveal a menacing dark blade with a thin tip.

"Too cool," Hayden muttered as she stared at the blade, then quickly cleared her throat, "Uh, you planned on showing this to Gandalf?"

"Yes," Radagast nodded, his wide eyes still fixed on her.

"Well I have no idea where he is now but I do know he and the White Council will be on their way to Dol Guldur," she said, thinking quickly "You need to meet them there and show them this blade – it's more important than you know."

"Who are you, my lady?" the wizard asked curiously, "A woman such as your beauty and knowledge would surly have a high place of power in this world?"

"No- I mean I'm no one really, no one important anyway," she shrugged, "I just- just care about this world more than anything and I know what needs to be done for it to stay safe."

"Very well," Radagast said, though he didn't seem very convinced, "I shall make for Dol Guldur… who am I to say sent me?"

"Hayden Parker – they should all know who I am," she said confidently.

Radagast nodded and jumped with ease back into the sled and grabbed the reins.

"Oh and would you give a message to Gandalf for me?" she asked the wizard before he could depart, "Tell him all is going well and to stay safe."

"That I will,' Radagast nodded, "You are a very odd young lady, if I may say so."

"You have no idea," she muttered, but smiled and waved as he turned his rabbits in the opposite direction and rode off into the distance.

"Thank god," she sighed and spun around on her heel to walk back, stopping in surprise when she saw the whole Company staring at her.

"Who was that, lass?" Bofur asked when she reached them.

"Radagast," Hayden said, "Friend of Gandalf's."

"What was he doing here?" Fili asked.

"Looking for Gandalf," she said, stopping in front of them all, "I told him Gandalf was traveling to Dol Guldur, so that's where he's off to now."

"And he believed you?" Thorin asked.

"Why shouldn't he?"

"Folks in these parts are not fast in trusting strangers," Bofur observed, "You must have made quite the impression on him, lass."

Hayden just shrugged, but she had to admit she was feeling pretty pleased with herself.

"I think we all underestimated our female companion," Balin smiled as she passed him, giving her a wink.

"That we did," Dwalin grunted, staring curiously at Hayden.

She stopped at her pony and grinned over at Kili, who sighed and slipped off his pony to help her onto hers.

"Thanks," she muttered down to him and he smirked at her once before returning to his own pony.

"Onwards," Thorin called, nudging his pony forward.

* * *

They continued to ride throughout the day, only stopping to give the ponies a rest and drink, and talked every so often, and tried to keep as quiet as possible.

They stopped a few hours after darkness fell, as Thorin wanted to find a place well covered for them to rest.

While the Company members ate, Hayden sat on a log by the fire watching them. She wasn't particularly hungry, as her headache from the night before had returned.

"Ya have to eat something lass," Bofur said to her from the fire.

"I'm not hungry," she repeated for the umpteenth time and rubbed her forehead, wincing from the stabbing pain.

"Alright, Hayden?" Fili asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Just another headache," she said, continuing to rub her head.

"Do you get them a lot?" he asked through a mouthful of soup.

"Not particularly," she frowned, "That's what's weird about it…"

"Why are you not eating?" Thorin asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of her.

"I'm not hungry," she said, yet again.

"Hayden we traveled all day without food," Thorin said worriedly, "You must eat."

"I can't- I won't be able to stomach it," she said weakly.

"Come," he stood up and gestured for her to follow.

"Where are we going?"

"To find a stream," he said, "It will help your headache."

She stood up slowly, a wave of nausea hitting her and she swayed a little. Thorin grabbed her hand quickly and steadied her before leading her away from the camp, picking up a lantern on the way.

"You are not well, Hayden," Thorin observed, walking slightly in front of her.

"I'm fine," she sighed, "It's only been these past two nights."

"This has never happened to you before?"

"Not like this," she said, "I don't get sick a lot… but it's bloody typical that now of all times I do."

"You will be fine," he assured her, squeezing her hand gently, "Oin is well practiced and he will know what to do if you get worse."

Hayden nodded thankfully and Thorin stopped at a small stream in between a few trees. He helped her down onto a rock and sat in front of her, placing a cloth in the stream. He wrung it out and dabbed it on her face gently, and she sighed in relief at the coolness.

"I feel like you're always looking after me in some way," she said, frowning slightly, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be a burden-"

"Enough," Thorin said strictly, "You are no burden to me or my Company, Hayden. You are to be my wife, and no wife of mine shall be left to suffer alone."

She smiled and put a gentle hand on his leg.

"Thank you," she said, leaning into him and kissing him.

* * *

The traveling remained uneventful for the next few days… at least in some ways.

The Company would rise early and ride along the path to Mirkwood for as long as they could, stopping only when darkness fell at night.

Hayden was finding it hard to concentrate on anything during the day. She really hadn't expected this journey to have such a toll on her, especially since they weren't even traveling on foot.

At night her headaches and nausea would hit her hard and she would barely sleep, despite having Thorin's arms wrapped protectively around her. So when they traveled she was quieter than usual, though still determined that her sudden illness would not ruin this journey of a lifetime.

On the morning of their fourth day of travel to Mirkwood, Thorin predicted they would reach the forest edge by midday. And despite knowing what was waiting for them in Mirkwood, Hayden was rather relieved that this tedious traveling would be over. Perhaps she would finally find something to distract her from her aches and pains.

It was early morning and the group was trudging along on their ponies silently, soaking up the rays of sunlight before the forest would block them out.

"Didn't sleep again?" Fili asked Hayden, riding up beside her and Kili.

"Nope," she yawned, "I honestly don't know what's wrong with me."

"Don't take it too hard, Parker," Kili shrugged, "You're just ill – you'll be better in no time."

"I know, but I haven't been sick at all in the last year," she said annoyed, "And it's typical that I would get sick now I'm on a journey with the Company in Middle Earth."

"What is it that's wrong again?" Fili asked curiously, frowning slightly.

"Headaches, nausea, back pains," she listed off, "That's about it – thank god. Why?"

Fili shook his head and chuckled to himself, "Nothing."

"What's so amusing?" she asked.

Fili chuckled more, "It's just from what you're feeling..."

She raised a clueless eyebrow at him, gesturing for him to elaborate.

"Well if I didn't know any better I'd say you were pregnant," he shrugged and chuckled once again, apparently thinking this was quite an amusing hunch.

Hayden pulled on the reins of her pony, stopping it mid trot.

"Pretty stupid huh, Hay-" Fili laughed, then stopped and frowned when he saw she was no longer next to him, "Hayden?"

"Are you okay, Hayden?" Bilbo frowned worriedly.

"Thorin!" Dwalin called to the front, and Thorin sighed and turned his pony around.

"What is it now-?" Thorin began, but stopped when he saw they were all looking at Hayden.

She was staring into space with her mouth hanging open and her face had gone oddly pale and a slight tinge of green.

"Hayden?"

As Thorin watched, Hayden's body tilted forward ever so slightly and she threw her hand over her mouth. In one smooth motion she slid off her pony and sprinted into the bushes along the side of the road.

"What happened?" Thorin growled at Fili, who was whom he had last seen her with.

"I don't know, we were just talking and she went weird," Fili frowned.

"Talking about…?" Thorin asked slowly.

"I said that from her illness I would have guessed she was-" Fili broke away suddenly and looked nervously at the bushes where Hayden disappeared and then shared a glance with his brother, who was wearing the same expression.

"She was _what_?"

"You don't think-?" Fili asked Kili, who just nodded.

"What is it?" Thorin asked clueless.

"You should probably go see Hayden," Fili said with a slight smirk, clapping his uncle on the back.

Thorin slipped off his pony and approached the bushes with a nervous frown.

* * *

Hayden straightened up and wiped her mouth with one hand, the other holding back her own hair from falling into the vomit.

She didn't know if it was because of shock or her so called "illness" that she had suddenly thrown up, but she had done so as quietly as possible. She had no desire to look so weak in front of the Company, seeing as she already felt like she was a burden on them, particularly in the last few days.

She breathed deeply and stared at the ground, waiting for another urge to be sick and thinking of the last few days...

* * *

_Hayden knew she would never tire of this – the pure thrill she felt from simply undressing Thorin and feeling his thick defined chest press up against her…_

_She rested her head back onto the wall and closed her eyes, trying to rid of a headache that had been pulsing through her forehead for the better half of the day… she groaned slightly as she stood up and a wave of nausea hit her…_

_"Thorin, can-" she began and stopped, frowning as her headache hit her harder than before, pounding down on her head… In a split second, the tankard fell from her grasp, her knees gave way and she collapsed to the floor…_

_"Hayden we traveled all day without food. You must eat."  
__"I can't- I won't be able to stomach it."..._

_She stood up slowly, a wave of nausea hitting her and she swayed a little. Thorin grabbed her hand quickly and steadied her…_

_"Ya have to eat something lass."  
__"I'm not hungry," she winced from the stabbing pain, "Just another headache…"  
__"Do you get them a lot?"  
__"Not particularly… that's what's weird about it…"_

* * *

"Oh god," Hayden groaned, her body lurching forward once more as another wave of vomit forced its way up her throat.

"Hayden?"

She breathed deeply through her nose and out her mouth, wiping her face, which was hot and clammy, but she didn't straighten up this time. She remained bent low; her legs spread shoulder length apart and her elbows resting on them, her head in her hands.

"Oh god please no," she muttered, feeling close to tears.

This couldn't be happening… not here and not now of all times. She couldn't be-

"Hayden?"

Thorin's voice came closer and she could hear the rustling of leaves as he walked towards her. She straightened up slowly; regaining what little dignity she had left.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking from her pale face to the lovely pile of vomit a few feet away from them.

"No…" she shook her head, trying to keep herself calm by breathing deeply but it wasn't working. She was panicking.

"No, no, no," she muttered, her hands rising to run through her hair and rest on the sides of her head, "This can't be happening."

"Hayden what is going on?" Thorin asked, putting his hands on the sides of her arms.

"I think… I think I might… I think I…" she stuttered through the sentence, her eyes not meeting his and her face becoming paler by the second. Every time she came close to voicing what she dreaded her voice trailed off, like it was denying the fact that it could be true.

"It's alright," Thorin said soothingly, running a hand down her face, "What is wrong?"

"I think… I think I'm…"

"You think you're…?"

"Pregnant," she blurted out, and spun away from him quickly as a new wave of vomit hit.

* * *

***Cue dramatic music and gasp*  
It happened! You all pretty much guessed it anyway. But I promise this will not affect the company's journey too dramatically - Erebor is still the number 1 priority.  
**

**I would really appreciate reviews and feedback on the story so far, and anything you might want me to add or change :)**

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**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 33 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	34. Chapter 33 - Anything Can Happen

**CHAPTER 33 - ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN**

**Ciao my lovely readers!  
****I know there's been a bit of confusion on the last bomb Hayden dropped in Chapter 32 (e.g. how can she know she's pregnant, it's only been a week, blargh) but don't worry, I did my research - turns out it's very possible for women to get strong pregnancy symptoms 6-8 days after the "deed" and then nothing at all until the 2 month mark. I chose for Hayden to be that very rare kind of woman just so you would all get the hint she was pregnant, rather than just dropping a baby in her arms at the end of the journey (imagine that: "Merry Christmas Hayden - here's a little bundle of joy to keep you busy!")  
Please don't think I did it because I'm rushing (Hayden was always going to get pregnant at some point anyway) - I was just really excited to break it to you all (probably more excited than I should be aswell)...**

**So without further ado here is Chapter 33 :D**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

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"You're… pregnant?"

Thorin stood weakly, staring blankly at Hayden in pure shock, and Hayden was doing the same. They had both not expected this to happen so soon… after all, they had only made love twice since being together.

"I don't understand… how…?"

"Usually it happens during sex," Hayden said softly, her jaw tightly clamped together and her arms crossed over her chest.

"I know but…" Thorin trailed off in thought, "Are- are you sure?"

"No… no I'm not sure," she said quietly, "If I am I wouldn't be that far along at all… but all the signs point to it."

"Signs?" Thorin frowned.

"My headaches, nausea," she listed, "And I'm late."

"For what?" Thorin asked.

"My per- that _thing_ women get once a month," she decided to put it – she didn't feel particularly in the mood to discuss this sort of thing with Thorin right now.

"Oh… that," he frowned, "And when will we know for sure if you are?"

"Eight weeks I suppose," she frowned, "Though there's still a very good chance that I'm not…"

They stood in a rather stunned silence for a few more moments, taking it all in.

"Hayden I-" Thorin began and cleared his throat, "I'm sorry I do not seem too thrilled about this news- it has just taken me by surprise."

"No kidding," she muttered.

"You are not happy about this?" he asked with a frown.

"I- I just… I wasn't planning on this happening so early," she said softly, "Motherhood wasn't exactly first on my agenda…"

"I see," Thorin's frown deepened.

"I… Thorin I'm scared," she said, and her voice wavered a little.

Thorin's frown disappeared and he stared curiously at her.

"I- I know I don't know for sure if I am," she said shakily, "But I- I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know… Thorin I've never even had a mother, how am I supposed to know how to be one? Or how to even take care of a baby?"

"I know you are scared," he said, taking her hands, "But this will be _our_ baby… we will know what to do when the time is right."

"But we- we have no home and a dangerous journey ahead of us and wh- what if something happens to me or the baby and it get's hurt or- or-"

"Hayden…" Thorin said gently, pulling her into his arms to calm her. To be truthful he was more relieved than anything that she was worried about the baby's safety along the journey. For one horrible moment he thought she was regretting it.

"I promised you that I would let nothing happen to you along this journey and that I would never leave you alone," he said softly, breaking apart and looking into her eyes, "And now that there is a chance you are carrying my child… it does not change that promise."

He reached up a hand and wiped a tear gently away from her face.

"As long as I live no harm will come to you or this baby, Hayden," he said, and she nodded with a weak smile.

"So you're not scared about this?" she asked.

"To be honest…" he said, "It is actually quite fantastic." His face split into a wide smile and she smiled back at him.

"Oh, Thorin," she smiled brightly, running a hand across his beard, "I would kiss you but I just threw up so I don't imagine it would be the sexiest look for me right now."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head, pulling her towards him for one last embrace.

"I know it is not the best of timing," he said softly, "But when the time comes we will be ready… and I know you will be a wonderful mother."

"I love you, so much," she smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, "Now let me go clean up so I can kiss that handsome face of yours."

He chuckled and took her hand, leading her out of the bushes to where the Company was waiting, talking amongst themselves.

"You right, lass?" Bofur asked.

"Fine, thank you," she smiled and looked at Thorin, "We might as well tell them everything while we're here."

Thorin pursed his lips, "We must cannot stay here for much longer."

"I know, but we can't just leave them hanging – they have a right to know."

"Of course," Thorin nodded and raised himself to his full height as he addressed his Company, "My friends – Hayden and I have some rather delightful news to inform you of."

The Company leaned forward expectantly on their ponies waiting for Thorin to speak again. Hayden felt like she could cut the suspense with a knife.

"First of all," Thorin took a deep breath, "Hayden and I are engaged to be married."

It was as if their journey hardly mattered anymore. The dwarf's faces lit up in absolute delight, a few cheering and crying out congratulations, and Bilbo looked a little stunned at first, but beamed at Hayden when she caught his eye.

"And…?" Fili smirked, waiting eagerly.

"_And_ there's a chance… that I'm pregnant," Hayden answered with a nervous smile.

"I knew it!" Fili cried happily before she could see any of the others reactions. He and Kili both leapt off their ponies and flew into her, embracing her tightly.

"Congratulations Parker," Kili smiled.

"Thanks," she managed to choke out, "Can you loosen your grips a little, please?"

"Oh, sorry," they grinned.

"Wait," Fili said suddenly, "It _is_ Thorin's, right?"

Hayden narrowed her eyes and made towards him but Thorin beat her to it, smacking Fili upside the head and growling disapprovingly.

"Just kidding," Fili's mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"So when is the little bundle of joy due?" Kili asked enthusiastically.

"Hold up, I'm not a hundred percent sure that I _am_ pregnant," Hayden said, "And if I am there's still less than nine months left."

"Oh but that's so long away," Kili groaned.

Hayden laughed, "Do you want to have this baby, instead?"

"No-" Kili shook his head quickly, "No that's fine you can do the work."

"Zu gabil melhekhinh u Thorintûmhu!"

Hayden looked behind Kili in surprise – it was the first time she had heard Bifur speak, and he was apparently talking to her aswell.

"Uh…" she raised an eyebrow at Thorin, who smirked.

"He said you will make a great Queen of Thorin's halls," Thorin translated.

"Oh," Hayden smiled, looking fondly over to Bifur, "Could you tell him thank you?"

"Âkminrûk zu bâhul," Thorin replied in Khuzdul.

Hayden stared at the conversation passing between Thorin and Bifur. It was also the first time she had heard Thorin speak in his native language, and it sounded pretty freaking cool to her.

"What are they saying?" Hayden whispered to Fili.

"Just a load of pleasantries and what not," Fili shrugged, "Nothing interesting."

"Oh, right," Hayden laughed a little – it was the first time she really felt completely clueless as to what was happening along this journey.

Leaving Thorin to be congratulated by his kin she quickly made over to her pony and grabbed her water flask, taking a long swig and rubbing a little on her face. She wasn't surprised that vomiting and not bathing for almost a week were not a good combination, and to be perfectly honest she felt absolutely disgusting.

"Hayden-"

"Bloody hell," she jumped violently, not realizing that Bilbo had approached her from behind.

"Sorry I didn't mean to-" Bilbo began apologetically.

"No you're fine," she smiled to the hobbit.

"I thought I might offer my congratulations to you while you are not being attacked by dwarves," Bilbo smirked.

"Oh right," she laughed, "They can be a little over enthusiastic at times."

"Congratulations, Hayden," Bilbo smiled widely, "I cannot think of a person in this world that deserves this more than you."

"Oh thank you Bilbo," she grinned, pulling the hobbit into a tight hug, "You know if it weren't for you I might not be here in the first place, so really I should be more grateful to you."

"Not at all," Bilbo shrugged, "What matters is that you are here… and the future Queen of Erebor at that."

"Oh my god…" Hayden gasped with wide eyes. She had not even thought about the idea of being Queen of all of Erebor, as she had been too busy fantasizing about being married to Thorin. "_Queen_?"

"That _is_ usually what happens when you marry a King," Kili smirked, hoisting her onto her pony before she had to ask.

"I know that," she said indignantly, "I just never thought of it like that… do you think they will mind that I will be their Queen and I've only just arrived here?"

"No," Fili chuckled, "We do not usually have Queens, so I think they will be more happy at the fact that there are still women in the world."

"Aye, I'd raise a glass to that," Bofur chuckled.

"Let us move on," Thorin called to his Company, mounting his pony with ease, "Mirkwood is near."

"A little too near for comfort," Kili muttered darkly.

Hayden nudged her pony forward and it began clopping along the dirt trail. She was beginning to get the hang of riding the animal, though she wasn't prepared to get too comfortable. Lord knows it could spin around and bite her at any second and re-kindle her fear.

"Remind me to teach you Khuzdul," Thorin said to her, his pony riding close beside hers.

"I would love that," she beamed excitedly. Any excuse to learn something new had a tendency to excite her.

As they continued the journey Hayden sat silently, soaking in everything that had happened in the last few moments. She could be _pregnant_. With an actual _baby_. The thought had always frightened her when she considered having a future family, and to be perfectly honest a baby had not been in her nearby plans. How would she know how to be a mother? Would she be any good at it? How would she know what to do with the baby when it is eventually born? But somehow she was not as panicked as she thought she would be. Somehow, the idea that it could be Thorin's baby growing inside of her made it all the better. She was having a _baby_ with _Thorin Oakenshield_, future King Under the Mountain. At this point, she was experiencing a high that no one could bring her down from.

And so the Company continued silently along the dirt path, their spirits considerably lighter with the happy news as they trudged closer and closer to the formidable forest they were dreading.

* * *

The forest of Mirkwood was soon looming in front of them, a wall of thick trees and plant growth that grew uncontrollably. The entrance was marked clearly by two tall trees leaning against one another in a sort of curve.

Hayden's initial impression was that it looked remarkably similar to Fangorn Forest, as she had seen it in the trilogy movies. Though this forest did not look magical, enchanted or even the smallest part inviting.

She figured it was because of the shadow of Dol Guldur that it looked so dark and gloomy, but that didn't make her thoughts on entering the forest any more positive. She new once they were inside there was no turning back, so she took as much time as she could to soak up the sunlight and the feel of the wind before the suffocating darkness inevitably overtook them.

The Company slid forlornly off their ponies and removed their belongings from the packs, as they had been specifically told by Beorn to send the animals back to him when they reached Mirkwood.

Hayden slid on her rucksack and her stomach did a nervous backflip that she knew had nothing to do with her pregnancy.

It was like the forest was a living creature, watching and waiting for its prey to step willingly inside so it could consume them. That was not a very pleasant thought at all.

As the ponies began trotting back in the opposite direction, Hayden thought she saw a dark shadow pass through the trees near them. Just as she thought, the shadow watched them closely as they let the ponies go, its golden eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

"Are you seeing that aswell?" Bilbo asked Hayden nervously, looking in the same direction as her.

She nodded and whispered back, "It's Beorn. He's making sure we sent the ponies back to him."

"Oh…" Bilbo said weakly and quickly looked away from the dark form of the bear as it sidled back into the shadows away from them.

"I must lead the way," Thorin told Hayden, his voice rather hoarse, "I need you to stay close by Fili and Kili – they will keep you safe."

"Right," she nodded nervously, and Thorin kissed the top of her head.

"Thorin-" she said quickly, grabbing his arm before he could turn away, "Please be safe."

He gave her a small smile and nodded, quickly squeezing her hand before walking to the front of the group.

"Stay close together," Thorin told them, "This will not be an easy journey, and we will need to be as quick and quiet as possible."

With a deep breath Thorin walked first into the blackness of Mirkwood, closely followed by his kin.

"Come on, Hayden," Fili said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the forest.

"I'll miss you sun," she muttered to herself, taking one last look out at the beautiful scenery before the darkness swallowed her.

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**As always please leave a review giving me feedback - it would be much appreciated. I hope you're all enjoying the story and I can't wait for the next few chapters - I've always loved the Wood-elves, now I get to write about them :3**

**Chapter 34 will be up very soon!**

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**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 34 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	35. Chapter 34 - Greenwood the Great

**CHAPTER 34 - GREENWOOD THE GREAT**

**The next chapter has arrived! :3 I've been quite under the pump with uni so do forgive it's lateness, but the good news is I managed to complete quite a few new chapters this week - so expect Chapter 35 to be posted pretty soon!**

**I admit this chapter and the next were a bit of a drag to write, after all the journey through Mirkwood isn't exactly the most eventful or thrilling part of the story, but alas, it had to be done. There isn't a lot of dialogue, but it does contain quite an important part of the story that will come in handy to remember for future chapters...**

**To answer a Guest question - yes, Legolas will definitely be appearing in future chapters, he plays quite an important part. And honestly I can't wait to post my take on the Wood-elves. Because there's no movie out yet showing Thranduil's personality, the way I write him will hopefully be quite unique, but he's definitely become one of my favourite characters to write.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

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Hayden had never been happier to have physical exercise in all her life.

After being trapped riding a pony for most of their travels, she was yearning to get her feet on the ground and walk somewhere to stretch her legs.

When they began the journey through Mirkwood down the narrow winding path she had forgotten how much she loved being on her feet. And never was she more glad that she had forced herself to get up early all those mornings and jog, because it would definitely come in handy for this particular part of their journey.

It took a long time for Hayden's eyes to adjust to the darkness, relying on Fili's hand to guide her where she needed to go. As soon as they entered the forest there was hardly any light at all, and what rays of sun that did make it through the thick growth were tinged a murky green that made the surroundings look more eerie than they already did.

Along with the almost suffocating darkness there was the silence. A silence so loud it could drive you insane, only broken ever so slightly by the noise of a twig snapping or animals rustling in the wild.

The Company was too scared to talk or make any noise whatsoever, so they stayed absolutely silent, or as much as they could; dwarves weren't exactly light on their feet. Soon the deafening silence was filled with the clumping sound of thirteen heavy boots smacking against the ground. Hayden and Bilbo were the only two making no sound whatsoever, as they were both less than half the weight of a dwarf and could move particularly silently down the path.

For what seemed like a lifetime the Company trekked single file down the never-ending pathway, weaving and winding between the wild trees and bushes, jumping at any peculiar sound they heard.

They eventually stopped when the darkness fell even thicker within the forest and it became impossible to see where they were stepping, signaling it was the late evening.

When they set up to sleep they did so silently and huddled as close to the path as possible, taking the advice of Beorn and not straying from the path at all.

Hayden shivered slightly and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, settling down in between Fili and Kili, who she had remained close to the entire day.

"I will take the first watch," Thorin whispered from somewhere in their huddle, "Sleep while you can."

Hayden took the advantage of not having a headache for the first night in nearly a week, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately, with one arm rested beneath her head as a sort of pillow and the other draped protectively over her stomach. She did not wake until she felt something furry touch her and she jumped and gasped instinctively.

"Shh," she heard a whisper in her ear, and she sighed in relief when she felt the familiar roughness of Thorin's beard touch her face.

Hayden sat up slightly and realised he had layed his fur coat over her and was now sleeping in the place Fili had been, having switched watch posts.

"You felt cold," he whispered, and she felt him take her hand and intertwine his fingers with hers, shuffling closer to her.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, squeezing his hand in return and wishing she could see his face.

She felt his warm hand slide underneath the coat and rub gently over her stomach to settle on her hip.

"When is it my turn to watch?" she asked.

"You do not have to – there are enough of us," Thorin said.

"I can't have you all doing everything, I need to help-"

"No, Hayden," he whispered quickly, "Get some sleep."

She grinded her teeth in annoyance but reluctantly layed her head back down. Had they been anywhere else she would have insisted on taking a watch, but given they were surrounded by a forest of flesh-eating beasts she decided it would be best to leave the conversation there.

It took her it seemed even less time to fall asleep than before, having Thorin's warm form next to her easing a few of her nerves, and she slipped into a deep sleep…

* * *

_"Hayden."_

_A ghostly whisper of her name reached her ears. _

_"Hayden Parker."_

Hayden frowned and twitched in her sleep. The voice sounded oddly familiar.

_"They are waiting for you Hayden…"_

_A light outline began to appear in her vision and Hayden had to squint to see who it was._

_"They are waiting for you Hayden…"_

_Out of the light formed Galadriel, as elegant and beautiful as ever, her dress billowing gracefully around her like an angel._

_"In the dungeons of the Great Wyrm…" _

_Hayden frowned further and she reached out a desperate hand to the elf._

_"I don't understand? What do you mean?"_

_Galadriel gave her one last withering smile and her form began to fade, with Hayden desperately trying to cling onto it for an answer of some sort._

Before she could call out again the scene changed suddenly…

* * *

_"Robert put them back in their seats."_

_"It's alright Leslie, let me spend some time with them."_

Hayden frowned; she couldn't remember ever hearing these voices before, yet they sounded so familiar… and their names aswell…

_"Oh look Rob, he's got your cap."_

_"He just wants to be in the navy like his dad- don't you Harvey?"_

_"Mm… don't start choosing our kids careers before their second birthday, dear."_

_"I'm not… but don't tell me you wouldn't be happy to see Hayden become an architect?"_

_"I would, but I would never force it on her."_

_"Hayden will be talented just like you- and just as beautiful..."_

_The voices haltered, replaced with the sounds of screaming and loud bangs. There was a sudden flash of light, someone called Hayden's name. _

Then everything went black.

* * *

"Harvey!"

Hayden sprung awake, her eyes darting from side to side in panic and she sat up, Thorin's fur coat falling off her.

"Hayden?"

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she narrowed them to see clearer. The Company was sitting in a huddled circle, eating their breakfast, outlined by the faintest of light that broke through the trees above them.

"Hayden are you alright?" she heard Thorin whisper beside her, snaking his arm around her waist.

"Yeah, fine, just a bad dream," she said shakily, running a hand through her hair.

That was all it was… just a bad dream…

"Who's Harvey?" Kili asked.

"Who?" Hayden said, more sharply than she had meant to.

"Harvey," Fili said, "You screamed that name when you woke up."

"And you were muttering it in your sleep aswell," Thorin agreed, watching her intently.

"Why does it matter?" she asked, deliberately avoiding the question.

"I think the last thing Thorin wants is you screaming another man's name in your sleep," Kili smirked, and Thorin growled.

"It's just out of curiosity, Hayden," Bilbo said kindly.

"It's no one," she said quickly, "Can we just drop it?"

After that the Company didn't mention the topic again, noticing it was obviously a touchy subject. But this didn't stop Hayden repeating the name over and over again in her head. She had never had a dream like that before, and it had been too long a time since she had thought about _that_ name. Why now had it suddenly returned to her?

* * *

The next few days were spent in quite a tedious routine. The only perks Hayden could find about the passage through Mirkwood was that it had somehow managed to rid of her illness.

During the day, or what they thought was the day seeing as they couldn't see the sun, Thorin would lead the way and Hayden would stay close by Fili and Kili. The two young dwarves would walk in front and behind her, occasionally grabbing her hand to lead her the right way or whispering her name to make sure she was still safe.

It was surprising just how mature they were under these circumstances and how safe she felt with them near her, like having her own dwarf bodyguards.

On their fourth day of travel through the dreary forest they were running dangerously short of food and water, having eaten most of it before even entering the forest. It was quite all right for Hayden, who wasn't a big eater anyway, but she did worry for the dwarves and her unborn baby. She knew _she_ didn't need to eat, but the baby needed to, and it would be quite dangerous to go without that nutrition while so early in her pregnancy.

To take her mind off her quickly drying throat she would think – probably too much – about the dreams she was having. Each night since their first night in Mirkwood she had been having the same dream. She would fall into a deep sleep almost immediately, and the voice of Galadriel would appear to her, shortly followed by the other unknown voices. Then she would wake up in a panic, gasping for breath and muttering that same name: Harvey. She had no idea how the dreams were connected to one another, and that was exactly what she spent most of her time trying to decipher.

"Ow- oh, sorry, Fili," she whispered after knocking into him, having not realised he had stopped abruptly in front of her, "Why are we stopping?"

"There's a river," Fili whispered back to her, nodding ahead of them.

"Oh great," Hayden groaned. She had been spending so much time in her own thoughts that she had completely forgotten what was to come in Mirkwood.

"Fili," Thorin ordered in a hushed voice, "Come – you have the sharpest eyes."

Fili shuffled forward to the front of the group and looked out into the blackness.

"There must be a way across," Balin observed.

"I can't see anything," Fili said.

"There's a boat!" Bilbo almost yelled in his excitement, "A boat on the other side of the bank."

"I do not see it," Thorin said, squinting out to where Bilbo was pointing.

"I see it," Fili nodded, "About twelve yards away."

"Do we have a rope to pull it over with?" Bilbo asked, looking around the Company.

"That will do no good," Thorin grunted, "The boat would be tied up."

"It doesn't look to be," Bilbo observed, "Fili would you be able to hook the boat?"

"I can try."

Gloin brought forward a long rope with iron hooks attached to it and passed it to Fili.

"Fili, be careful," Hayden said before she could help herself, watching nervously as he stepped closer to the edge of the river.

"Worried are you, Hayden?" Fili grinned, and he swung the rope over to the other side of the river.

They heard a loud splash as the iron hit the water and Fili cursed under his breath.

"You were only a few yards off it," Bilbo said, "Try swing it a little harder this time."

Fili nodded and pulled the rope back in, careful not to touch the water after what Beorn had warned them.

Swinging the rope with even more force this time, Fili let the rope go high and they waited with bated breaths for any sound. There was a loud clunk of iron hitting wood and the dwarves grinned between themselves.

"Now pull," Bilbo said, and Kili, Dori and Oin stepped behind him to help Fili.

The four heaved hard on the rope with all their might and the boat began to slowly make its way against the stream towards their side of the river.

Thorin reached forward and grabbed the side of the boat when it came close enough and pulled it towards them, holding it tight in his grasp.

"I'll go first," Thorin said, "Hayden you come with me, and Bilbo and Kili. You all follow three at a time – we don't want to push the boat's limits. Except for Bombur and Dwalin, you will go last."

They mumbled in agreement and Hayden dodged through them to Thorin.

"Do we have another rope?" Fili asked Gloin, who nodded and produced another length of thick rope with a hook at the end, "I'll hook it into a tree and we can use it to pull across."

Fili swung the rope higher than he had for the boat and they did not hear it land on the other side. Fili tugged at it just to be sure, and it seemed the hook had stuck in high branches somewhere, because it was not moving at all.

"Right, in you go," Fili nodded when he was confident it had hooked properly.

Thorin was first to carefully step into the boat, and he grabbed Hayden gently by the waist and easily lifted her in beside him. Kili was next, grabbing his uncle's shoulder for support as he jumped in and was followed by Bilbo, who leapt nimbly into the boat, not daring to touch or look to Thorin for help.

Thorin wrapped the length of rope around his arm and began to pull them across the water. Hayden looked over the side of the boat nervously, examining the water. Beorn had been right when he had described it – the water was thick and black and was running very fast. Even though she was extremely thirsty, Hayden didn't think she would drink from it anyway, knowing it was enchanted or not.

Soon enough they had all crossed the river safely, with Dwalin just stepping onto the land and turning to help Bombur out of the boat.

_Crack!_

Hayden gasped and spun around, the rest of the Company doing the same. Kili drew his bow and an arrow and pointed it out into the darkness, waiting for something to show itself.

"Bombur!" Dwalin cried out suddenly, "Bombur's drowning!"

The crack had been so loud Bombur had lost his balance while getting out of the boat, and had toppled silently into the black water, the hood of his cloak just visible at the surface.

"Fili!" Thorin cried to his nephew, but Fili was already one step ahead of him. Fili grabbed a spare rope that they had used previously and swung it into the water next to Bombur. They saw his large hand break the surface and grab tight hold of the hook.

Fili and Kili hauled the rope with all their strength, pulling Bombur into the shore, where Bofur and Bifur went running to his side.

But it was too late. Bombur was already in a deep sleep.

"For the love of Durin!" Dwalin cursed, glaring down at Bombur, "What are we to do now?"

"Do we wait until he wakes up?" Bofur asked, nudging his brother with his foot.

"No – it'll be at least a week before he does," Hayden said.

"Aye, we need to keep moving," Thorin agreed.

"We can't leave him here," Bilbo frowned concernedly.

"No, we'll have to carry him," Thorin grumbled, "But we shall take it in turns. Dwalin, Dori, Fili, Kili and I will carry him first for as long as we can, then we will swap."

And so they continued on, with perhaps even lower spirits then before they had crossed the enchanted river. What with the extra weight of Bombur on their shoulders and the prospect of having no water or food to replenish their energy, the Company's hopes were slowly fading.

* * *

For another four days they traveled onwards, hardly talking at all, but dragging their feet along the ground, in hope that the end of the forest would be near.

"Does this forest have no end?" Thorin growled in frustration.

"Apparently not," they mumbled in reply.

"We need to know where we are," Thorin continued, stopping and looking up to the tops of the giant trees, "Someone needs to climb up and see where the forest ends."

Thorin looked expectedly at Bilbo, and the hobbit bit his lip nervously and looked around him, as if to make sure Thorin was actually looking at him.

Bilbo sighed and stepped forward to the nearest tree.

"Would someone mind giving me a lift?" he asked, looking around at the Company.

Fili and Kili nodded and stepped forward, lifting the hobbit by his feet to the lower branches of the tree and Bilbo hopped nimbly onto them.

"Hey, give me a lift aswell," Hayden said, making towards Fili and Kili, but Thorin held out a hand.

"I don't think so," he said, holding her back.

"Why not?"

"It's too dangerous."

"I don't see you telling Bilbo that," she smirked.

"Mr Baggins is not carrying a child now is he?"

"Thorin I'm pregnant, I'm not dying," she scoffed, "I'll be fine."

Before he could protest again she shrugged off his hand and approached Fili and Kili, who grinned at her.

"Going up?" Fili asked.

"If he thinks I'm missing out on this he's crazy," she grinned, grabbing each of their shoulders and allowing them to hoist her into the air.

She grabbed onto one of the low branches and pulled herself easily onto it, swinging her legs over and balancing. She continued to climb up until she had caught up with Bilbo, who seemed to be taking his time.

"Alright, Bilbo?" she asked.

"Why do you look so happy?" he asked, casting a nervous glance downwards and shivering at their height.

"Just think – we're going to see the sun again!" she smiled happily, beginning to climb upwards once again.

"I suppose that will be nice," Bilbo gave a small smile and followed her.

They continued climbing silently, concentrating on their breathing and footwork (for it would be a long way to fall if they lost their balance) until they reached the smaller branches beginning to clump together with more leaves.

Hayden pushed her way through the dense growth, feeling the light rays of the sun on her cheeks and a soft breeze blowing at the leaves until she had bursted through the top, balancing easily on a thick branch.

It was absolutely amazing.

She didn't know what was better; feeling the sun and the wind again, hearing sounds other than the shrieking of the woods or the view itself.

"Oh if only I had a camera here," she sighed, mentally soaking in the view.

Bilbo soon followed her and his face lit up when he saw why Hayden had looked so happy while climbing.

"Wow," Bilbo laughed, smiling wider than she had seen him smile in a long time.

For a while they just stood looking out onto the scenery, basking in its glory and the warm sun, until Thorin's voice brought them back to reality.

"What do you see?"

"Hayden there's nothing but trees," Bilbo sighed, looking around them.

"I don't think we're not too far from the edge of the forest," she said, but she had to admit from this angle it did not look promising, "We just need to continue down the path – there's no other choice really."

"Right – we should get back down," Bilbo said regretfully.

"I suppose," Hayden sighed, "It was nice to see you sun," she added, before disappearing back into the thick growth of the trees.

They made their way down the trees slowly and carefully, until they had reached the bottom branches where they could both jump down by themselves.

"What did you see?" Thorin asked.

"Nothing but trees," Bilbo said heavily, "The forest goes on and on."

The dwarves groaned miserably and collapsed to the floor, beginning to eat what was left of their food scraps.

Hayden joined them silently and ate the last of an apple in her rucksack. Her insides squirmed uncomfortably with hunger and her throat burnt for water.

"Here," Thorin said, handing her his last piece of bread.

"Thorin don't-"

"You need it," he insisted, "Please do not argue."

She bit her lip, torn between her pride and her worry for the baby's safety. In the end, the baby won out, and she took the bread.

"Thank you," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey! Bombur's awake!" Bofur cried, looking towards his brother.

And indeed he was. Bombur was sitting upright, looking around in extreme daze and confusion.

"What happened to me?" he asked, rubbing his hands over his puffy eyes.

"You slipped into the river, you clumsy oaf," Bofur said, "And we've had to carry you for a good four days because you wouldn't wake up."

"And I wish I hadn't," Bombur groaned, "I was having the most pleasant dream that I was walking through a forest lit with many lights, and there was a Woodland feast with more food and drink than you could imagine."

"Save it, Bombur," Dwalin snapped angrily, "We do not need to be teased."

"What's that?" Kili observed, pointing into the distance.

They all followed his gaze to where a few lights were lit not too far away from them. Slowly, as if these lights were their only hope, they all rose from the ground wearily and followed the direction of the lights.

As they came closer, the lights turned a shade of red, and more began to appear, but they were not on the path. The lights trailed off to the far left of the path, disappearing into the wild growth of the forest.

"It's as if my dreams are coming true," Bombur cried happily from the back of the group, making to step off the path and follow the lights further, but Bofur held out a hand to stop him.

"Beorn warned us not to stray off the path," Thorin said heavily, "A feast would be no good if we are dead."

"But we will be dead soon enough without a feast," Bombur pointed out.

"We might as well Thorin," Balin said, "What choice do we have?"

And so, rather reluctantly, Thorin led them off the path in the direction of the dancing red lights. Soon enough, the smells of fresh food and the sounds of laughter and music hit them, lightening their spirits considerably.

Hayden moved as quietly as she could through the growth, following the outlines of the dwarves in the darkness, and peaked around a large tree.

It was just as Bombur had described it in his dream; dancing lights around a forest clearing with Woodland elves laughing and dancing, surrounded by food and drink.

The dwarves smiled and cheered in delight, making forward into the clearing. Before Hayden could yell to stop them the lights vanished, along with the elves and the food, leaving nothing but a dark, empty clearing.

"What happened?" Kili asked miserably.

"They're probably scared of intruders," Hayden observed, beckoning them all back behind the trees.

Like Hayden had predicted, as soon as the dwarves had disappeared from the clearing the lights appeared again and the sounds of laughter and music aswell.

"Bilbo, you go first," Thorin said, "You're light on your feet."

Before Bilbo had a chance to even consent to this plan the dwarves pushed him out from his hiding spot and into the clearing. But despite Bilbo's swift and silent movements, once again the lights quickly extinguished and the elves disappeared from the clearing as quickly as they had reappeared.

"What are we to do now?" Dwalin growled.

"I'll go," Thorin said, standing up and walking into the clearing, only to get the same reaction as Bilbo from the Woodland elves. Only this time, they didn't come back, leaving the Company in a suffocating blackness, with no idea where the path was.

Hayden stumbled around, passing through the Company members, who were all calling each other's names in a panic. She was losing her patience with them – they were off the path, doing exactly the opposite of what Beorn had warned them, and they were making enough noise to disrupt the armies of Mordor.

"Shut it!" she hissed loudly, "If you all keep making enough noise to be a bloody stampede then we're going to attract worse things than Wood-elves."

The Company went into a stunned silence at her sudden tone, and though she couldn't see their expressions she could have guessed what they looked like at the moment.

Hayden took a deep breath to calm herself and made to take a tentative step forward, but stopped when she felt something sticky touch her arm.

"What is that?" she asked shakily, though she thought she already knew the answer.

It was not long before the Company felt the same as her and the sounds of harsh clicking noises and sticky legs began to shuffle through the forest towards their huddled group.

* * *

**As always please review and give your opinions - I would love the feedback.**

**Also, I hate to be a nag, but I do have a new story I'm in the middle of writing. It's a Harry Potter fic, Sirius Black/OC called _Treacherous Journeys_. If you're as much of a Potterhead as I am then check it out! If not... check it out anyway! :3**

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 35 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	36. Chapter 35 - Spiders

**CHAPTER 35 - SPIDERS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"This will be worth it – they will be juicy to eat, mark my words."

"Aye, once they've been hung for a good long while."

"Not for too long I should hope, they'll have lost all their good meat."

"I say we kill them now! Kill them and leave them to hang!"

"They should be dead already!"

"I saw one was struggling not too long ago – we should feast before they begin to wake."

_Oh my god they can talk_ – _the freaking spiders are talking!_

Hayden was awake, granted she had not been for very long, and was tied up tightly in a thick spider web hanging from a thick tree branch. From what she could see, there were other white mounds surrounding her that could only be the Company.

She couldn't remember how she had gotten there, though she did vaguely recall being circled by giant spiders and being knocked unconscious.

All she could hope was that Bilbo had managed to escape and was listening close by and forming a plan.

_Please come Bilbo, please…_

* * *

Bilbo stood huddled behind a tree, closely watching the scene unfolding.

If he wasn't mistaken, he thought he could hear voices coming from the spiders that were huddled around the dwarves, and the hobbit shivered subconsciously.

His mind was whirring – he had to get the dwarves and Hayden out of there.

_Oh if only Hayden was with me, she'd know what to do_, Bilbo thought longingly, remembering how quick she had been when they were facing Gollum in the Misty Mountains. _Come on Bilbo Baggins, are a Took or aren't you? You can do this!_

Steeling himself silently, Bilbo took the enchanted Ring out of his waistcoat pocket and slipped it onto his finger, hoping that it still worked how Hayden had said it did.

Bilbo made to step out of his hiding place, and as he did so his feet kicked along a few stones, and he stopped abruptly, hoping that he hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. But the spiders, to his relief, were still arguing amongst themselves.

Slowly a plan began to form in the hobbit's mind, and he picked up the stones and shoved them into his pockets, keeping a few out to use.

He stepped tentatively closer to the tree where the spiders were huddled, careful not to disturb the ground, aimed a stone at the nearest spider and threw it hard. It hit its target, and the spider fell from its perch to the ground, its legs curling uselessly into its body.

Before the other spiders could react Bilbo sent another stone flying towards them, causing another one to fall dead to the ground.

The spiders clicked their pincers angrily and leapt into the direction the stones had come from, but Bilbo was already one step ahead of them. He had run in the opposite direction, and was readying to throw more stones at the angry cluster of spiders.

_If I can lead them away from the dwarves, it will give them a chance to wake and escape_, Bilbo thought quickly, never gladder of the fact that Hayden had chosen to give him this enchanted Ring.

So Bilbo settled on the first tune he could think of and began to sing, making up the words as he went along.

_Old fat spider spinning in a tree! Old fat spider can't see me!_

_Attercop! Attercop!_

_Won't you stop, stop your spinning and look for me?_

_Old Tomnoddy, all big body, old Tomnoddy can't spy on me!_

_Attercop! Attercop!_

_Down you drop! You'll never catch me up your tree!_

In any other case Bilbo would never have begun singing of all things, which only seemed to anger the spiders even further. But he needed to let the others know he was here to help them.

Bilbo continued this process over and over again; throwing stones at the spiders and running quickly in the opposite direction, all the while singing and leading the cluster of spiders further and further away from the dwarves.

The spiders had soon filled every space in the clearing that Bilbo had been, clicking and spinning around wildly, looking for the culprit of the songs and the flying stones. But Bilbo was too quick for them, and if any did get close enough to him he would silently unsheathe his sword and let them feel his _sting_, as he had appropriately named it.

_Lazy Lob and crazy Cob are weaving webs to wind me._

_I am far more sweet than any other meat, but still they cannot find me!_

_Here am I, naughty little fly; you are fat and lazy._

_You cannot trap me, though you try, in your cobwebs are crazy._

_Alright Bilbo, you may be pushing it a little_, he thought, and slipped past the spiders as fast as he could to the dwarves, who had been quickly forgotten by the giant arachnids.

Bilbo climbed up the tree to where the Company were tied and approached the first bundle, who he could only assume was either Fili or Kili. He reached around, unsheathing his sword, and managed to cut loose a few of the strong threads that held the bundle tightly wound together. Fili emerged, kicking and scratching himself loose of the spider's web and breathing heavily. The dwarf pulled himself up onto the branch alongside Bilbo, who had taken off the Ring now.

"Thank Durin you escaped Bilbo," Fili grinned, hugging Bilbo out of pure relief, "However did you think that up so quickly?"

"Now's not the time Fili," Bilbo said hurriedly, looking nervously at the spider's scuttling around angrily, "Help me cut the others loose."

"Right," Fili nodded, and together they began to cut away the webs from the others along the same branch.

After a short while they had set Kili, Bifur, Bofur, Dori, Ori and Bombur free, but by that time the spider's had grown impatient, and had begun to crawl back to the tree.

_Think Bilbo Baggins think!_

"I have to distract them again," Bilbo said distractedly, taking out his Ring again.

"What's that?" Bofur asked.

"It's an enchanted Ring; it can turn you invisible," Bilbo explained quickly, "Hayden found it while we were in the Mountains."

"So that's why we could not see you before?" Fili asked, and Bilbo nodded.

"Exactly, I need to use it now to distract the spiders while you set the others free," Bilbo continued to explain hurriedly, "I'll meet you all where we found the Wood-elf feast."

And with that Bilbo disappeared once again, the sound of his taunting songs echoing through the forest as the dwarves set each other loose.

* * *

Hayden was one of the last to be set free from her bondages, having been so high in the tree. She hadn't realised how much she had been suffocating until Fili had cut her loose, and she gasped for air, kicking herself out of the cocoon sort of shell the web had made.

"Alright Hayden?" Fili asked worriedly, helping her safely onto a branch.

"I'm fine, how are the others?" she asked concernedly, "Where's Thorin?"

"They're all fine," Fili said, "I haven't seen uncle but he's probably with the others."

_I wouldn't bet on it_, she thought grimly, and followed Fili down to where the others were huddled far away from the cluster of spider's running angrily after Bilbo's voice.

"Let's go," Balin said, taking charge and leading them away from the spiders.

Fili grabbed Hayden's hand and pulled her along close to him, and they did not stop until they had reached a clearing in the forest that looked similar to the one they had seen the Wood-elves feasting in before.

"Oh thank goodness!" Bilbo sighed in relief as he came running through the trees after them.

"The spiders?" Dwalin asked.

"They gave up and disappeared," Bilbo said, collapsing beside a tree.

"I think we have sorely underestimated you, Master Baggins," Balin said to the hobbit, smiling appreciatively, "It seems that once again we owe you our lives."

"Oh… it was nothing," Bilbo shrugged, but he did look rather pleased.

"How on earth did you acquire a Ring like that?" Balin continued, and the dwarves all leaned in curiously.

Bilbo smiled nervously and raised his eyebrows to Hayden; "I think it's time we tell them what happened in the Mountains?"

She nodded and sunk down to the floor, leaning her back against a tree and picking pieces of web out of her hair as she listened to Bilbo retell the story of their journey through the Misty Mountains and their meeting with Gollum.

"And it turns you invisible, does it?" Nori asked interestedly, once Bilbo had finished the story and held up the Ring as proof.

"Yes, but I wouldn't have known that if Hayden hadn't told me-"

"Where is Thorin?" Dwalin asked suddenly, sitting up and looking around their group.

_Took them long enough_, Hayden inwardly sighed. Of course she had realised from the start Thorin was missing, and she was aching inside to go looking for him, but she knew she had to wait for the Company to figure it out by themselves.

"Who last saw him?" Kili asked worriedly.

"When we were trying to contact the Wood-elves, I think," Ori said.

The Company grumbled uncomfortably between themselves, the guilt and worry overtaking them that they had managed to lose their King.

* * *

"I will ask you once more, _dwarf_ – why did you attack my people?"

Thorin snarled and looked weakly up at the elf-king with extreme distaste. He had met the king only a few times, when he had attended meeting's of business with his grandfather, and he knew very well that it was this king's fault the elves did not come to aid when Smaug had attacked.

Thorin bit his tongue to prevent himself from snapping back at the king, for he knew it would not help his cause. Instead he stood to the same argument.

"We did not attack them," Thorin said through barred teeth, "We saw your people feasting and we were to beg for food – we were starving."

"And where are your kin now?" Thranduil asked, with a tone of mocking arrogance.

"I expect they are still in the forest – _starving_," Thorin added snidely, and his stomach gave an uncomfortable tumble, from both his hunger and the thought of Hayden still alone in the forest.

"And what are they doing now?" Thranduil asked, "What were you doing in the forest?"

"We were starving – we were looking for food and water," Thorin answered stiffly.

"An odd place to search for food I should think," Thranduil observed, rising elegantly from his throne and approaching where Thorin stood heavily bounded and guarded, "Do not think I don't know who you are, _dwarf_."

"Do not think I don't know who _you_ are, _elf_," Thorin spat back, looking into Thranduil's eyes and standing his ground.

"You have quite an attitude for a royal," Thranduil's lip curled, "Tell me _Thorin Oakenshield_, have you seen Smaug lately? How is the old Wyrm?"

Thorin bit his tongue hard and growled at the king, making forward threateningly, but the guards stopped him.

"I know what you were doing in the great forest," Thranduil said, stalking ever closer to Thorin, "Even if you do not have the courage to tell me."

Thorin remained quiet, his anger pulsing through him almost uncontrollably.

"What's wrong? Dragon got your tongue?" Thranduil mused. But still Thorin remained silent – with a great deal of self-restraint though.

"Very well," Thranduil clicked his tongue, "If you will not talk then you shall be bounded. Lock him in the dungeons until he decides to share his business – I look forward to when he does."

* * *

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 36 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	37. Chapter 36 - Mine

**CHAPTER 36 - MINE**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"Hayden," Bilbo whispered in Hayden's ear, making her jump.

The Company had continued along the path aimlessly in hope of finding food or water, and Hayden had become a lot edgier than usual after the spider's had unexpectedly attacked.

"You know where Thorin is don't you?" Bilbo asked in a voice low enough so only she could hear him.

"Yes," she nodded subtly.

"And he's safe?"

"I hope so," she sighed, her stomach twisting uncomfortably.

"What do I need to do to get us out of here?" Bilbo asked, and Hayden smiled slightly. There was a strong determination in the hobbit's voice that she had never heard before, and she was glad he was finally growing some confidence in himself.

"Don't tell the others," she whispered back, "But we're going to be caught by the Wood-elves soon, if all goes to plan. If we'recaught I need you to put on the Ring, but stay close to me."

Bilbo nodded.

"I'll try my best to get us free without trouble but if I can't we'll probably be locked up," she continued, "And I need you to come find me if that happens. But _always_ keep the Ring on."

Bilbo nodded that he understood perfectly, and stepped back from her, like their conversation had never happened.

Hayden continued on, her feet stumbling along underneath her. Never did she think there would be a day when she would not want to be walking, but that day had come. She wrapped her arm around her growling stomach and clenched her eyes together. She hoped that this stint would not harm the baby…

"Hayden!" Kili cried out, jumping out and putting a protective arm in front of her.

In a split second they had been surrounded by hooded Wood-elves, their bows raised and pointing to the huddled Company, who hadn't even bothered to draw their swords in their exhaustion and hunger.

"What business do _dwarves_ have in our kingdom?" asked one of the elves.

"It's no business of _elves_ that's for sure," Dwalin spat, making forward threateningly but Balin held him back.

The elf that had spoken stepped forward and flicked his hood off, revealing his pale face, piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair.

_No freaking way_, Hayden thought in excitement; if she hadn't been so exhausted she might have squealed in delight at who she thought this elf was.

"Do not think I won't kill you _dwarf_," the elf spat back at Dwalin, "I asked you a question."

"Please," Hayden stepped forward, "We're starving – we need food and water."

The blonde elf turned his attention away from Dwalin and examined Hayden.

"What is a woman doing travelling with dwarves?" he asked suspiciously.

"They're my friends," she said quickly, "And we've been travelling for a long time."

The elf considered her for a long moment, then after his deliberation he said to both the Company and his kin; "We will take them to my father. He shall decide their fate."

Hayden nodded and sighed, turning ever so slightly to wink at Bilbo, who she saw slip a golden object discreetly out of his pocket.

The elves surrounded their group, confiscating their weapons and baggage, and led them down the long winding path, lit by their bright red torches. Soon they had reached a break in the trees, and the air became a lot clearer to breath without the suffocating growth of the forest around them.

The elves began to walk along a long wooden bridge, and the Company reluctantly followed, leading into a tall chamber with pillars lining the hall.

At the end of the hall was a large chair made of vines and leaves, and sitting on the throne was a blonde-haired elf, who looked strikingly like the one who had spoken in the forest. Hayden could only assume this was the elf-king Thranduil.

Thranduil had his legs lounging over the sides of his throne, with a glass of wine swirling in one hand and a crown of vines and berries sitting delicately on his head.

The king looked up gracefully and his eyebrows rose as he took in the sight of the Company before him.

"Well aren't our halls popular today," Thranduil mused.

"We found them on the borders of Mirkwood," the blond haired elf stepped forward.

"Indeed?" Thranduil stood lazily off his throne and approached them, "Dwarves?"

"And a woman," the elf said. Thranduil's casual arrogance disappeared from his face momentarily at these words, but was restored just as fast.

"Bring her forward, Legolas," Thranduil ordered.

Hayden did not even bother to panic, a mixture between her exhaustion and her excitement that this elf _was_ Legolas, like she had guessed.

Legolas reached into the group and grabbed Hayden's arm, surprisingly gently. The dwarves tried to stop him but it was no use; they were unarmed, weak and outnumbered.

Hayden stumbled out in front of Thranduil, feeling quite self-conscious next to his tall slender form and becoming painfully aware of how horrible she must look.

"Will you be more helpful than your so called _friends_, I wonder?" Thranduil asked her, and she met his piercing gaze as confidently as she could, "What were you doing in Mirkwood, girl?"

Hayden bit her lip, thinking fast.

"Don't give in, lass," Dwalin groaned to her and the other dwarves gave similar encouragements.

"I think I've done enough dealings with dwarves today," Thranduil said, his eyes moving slowly from Hayden to the group of dwarves, "Take them to the dungeons while I finish talking with this one."

The elves nodded and escorted the dwarves out, but it was not without a fight.

"Hayden!" Kili cried desperately, fighting to reach her.

"Do not worry, no harm will befall your companion," Thranduil said casually, a slight smirk forming on his ageless face.

The dwarves disappeared down a dark corridor, and Hayden could still hear their protests echoing as they were escorted further and further away and her heart slowly began to sink with despair.

"Now they're gone," Thranduil sighed dramatically, "Lord Elrond had the courtesy of informing me of you, young lady."

Hayden raised a curious eyebrow.

"He told me that no harm must come to you, should you fall into our hands," Thranduil continued, "I assume you are the woman he talked of; he described you with quite ravenous detail. It would seem you made a memorable impression on the High Elves of the West."

Hayden nodded but still did not say anything, waiting for the right moment to speak.

"Despite my many questions I am aware of your companions purpose in the forest," the King said, circling her like a predator stalking its injured prey, "They wish to slay the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain, do they not?"

Hayden nodded subtly; she figured he had guessed as much, so she might as well cooperate with him.

"And does Elrond speak the truth?" Thranduil continued to question her, "He spoke of you coming from a distant world to accompany Thorin Oakenshield?"

At Thorin's name Hayden involuntarily straightened and she made to quickly cover her reaction, but it had not gone unnoticed.

"Oh so it is true," Thranduil smirked, "The great Thorin Oakenshield has won the company of a maiden… I do not deny that I am surprised."

Hayden couldn't help but smirk a little.

"I can see you are a fair beauty under normal circumstances," Thranduil closely examined her, "A pity… you would have made the perfect maiden for my son."

Hayden's smirk disappeared.

"Oh you do not like that idea?" Thranduil mused and turned to his subjects, "Should we show her what has become of her _dwarf king_?"

A few elves bowed their heads and left the room quickly and silently. Hayden followed them with her eyes and continued to stay silent, her heart beating a million miles an hour.

Soon enough the elves had returned from the dark corridor, only this time they were accompanied by another figure; it was Thorin.

He had been stripped of his armor, wearing only a black tunic, pants and boots, and he looked like death would take him at any second.

"Thorin…" she breathed out, watching as his feet dragged across the floor to stand near Thranduil, his head hanging low.

"Why do you look so gloomy, Thorin Oakenshield?" Thranduil asked with a smirk, "I should think you would be happy to see your lover."

Thorin's head snapped up and his eyes locked immediately on Hayden.

"Hayden," he said weakly, and almost collapsed to the floor, but the elves held him up.

Hayden couldn't help herself any longer, and she ran forward to him, taking his face in her hands.

"Thorin," she said, "Thorin please wake up."

His eyes flickered open and he gave her a weak smile, "You're alive…"

"Yes, yes I'm alive," she smiled, "And so are you."

"The baby…?" he managed to croak out.

"Is fine," she breathed.

"Oh isn't this touching," Thranduil's voice broke into their moment.

Hayden let go of Thorin's face and turned to face the king, who was smirking lightly. She felt like smacking some sense into him more than anything, but she retrained herself. Losing her temper would not keep Thorin or the Company alive; she just needed to play it right.

"Please," she begged, "He's dying – he needs food and water."

"Oh I'm afraid I can't do that, good lady," Thranduil said sincerely, "You see I promised Elrond I would not harm _you_, but I have never been rather fond of dwarves…"

"You can't leave him to die!" she cried indignantly.

"And why not?"

"Because…" her voice faltered.

"Hayden," she heard Thorin croak behind her.

"Because I'm pregnant."

Once again Thranduil's arrogant façade fell for a split second as he stared at Hayden, but it was restored soon after that.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes," she sighed, "I can't do this without him, _please_, I'll do anything."

"Hayden… no," Thorin said weakly behind her.

"_Anything_ you say?" Thranduil smirked, approaching her slowly and deliberately.

Hayden stayed silent, watching him wearily as he stepped closer to her, until he was but a foot away.

"I wonder what a beauty like yourself would sacrifice for your _love_?" Thranduil whispered, his warm breath reaching her face and sending chills down her spine. He took another step forward and his cold hands touched her arm, stroking it softly. He circled her like he had before, and his hand moved her hair behind her shoulder so that her neck was fully exposed to him.

"I want to be feared," he whispered, his lips inches from her ear, "I want to be the most powerful of the elven kings… and your lovers treasure could give me that."

Hayden cleared her throat and took a step away, turning defiantly to face him.

"Gold will make you powerful but it won't earn you respect," she said, hoping that she sounded more confident than she felt, "It comes at a heavy price."

"So you think you know the true price of gold?" Thranduil laughed, "Have you seen it happen, girl? Do you _really_ know what it will do to your precious Thorin if he wins it back?" Thranduil mocked her, "He will forget about you, your child, and anything else that he once claimed to _love_. Mark my words Hayden Parker, he does not love you, nor can he offer you what he claims."

Hayden clenched her jaw and she honestly did not know how she stopped herself from punching him square in the face.

"You don't know me or Thorin," she said, her lips pursed and her arms crossed tight over her chest, "I love him more than anything in this world, and I'll be damned if I let a bloody _elf_ stand in the way of us getting back our home."

"Very well," Thranduil sighed dramatically, "Escort our guests to the dungeons… I've grown weary of their company."

Elves approached Hayden and grabbed her hands, and she didn't bother to struggle against them. Her and Thorin were led out of the hall, but not before Hayden heard Thranduil's last few words.

"Legolas, send word to Lord Elrond of our new guests."

"Yes, father…"

They were led down a dimly lit corridor until they were both thrown unceremoniously into a cell, where the door was quickly slammed shut behind them.

Hayden growled in frustration and kicked the door back, causing an equally loud bang.

"I'd like to tear him a new asshole, the pompous prat!" she growled, smacking her palms against the wood.

Behind her she heard Thorin chuckle weakly and she spun around, in all her anger forgetting how sick he was.

"Oh, Thorin," she breathed, quickly walking over to him and collapsing beside where he had fallen down the wall to the ground.

He gave her a weak smile and she gently stroked the side of his face, which was trembling slightly.

"It's nice to see your face again," she smiled.

"It's nice to hear you angry at someone other than me," he gave her a small smirk.

"I will never again criticize you for holding anger against elves," she said, and laughed, "You can hate them as much as you want."

He laughed with her for a while and his hand slid over her flat stomach.

"The baby? Is it alright?" he asked, frowning worriedly at her.

"I suppose so," she said softly, "I haven't felt anything wrong."

He nodded considerately and his other hand wound through her hair, pulling her towards him and locking their lips in a soft embrace.

Hayden smiled and rubbed her hand over his chest. It had been a long time since they had kissed, or touched intimately, and she was already burning with desire for him.

He broke apart their lips with a satisfied sigh and kept his face close to hers.

"If it weren't for you Hayden, knowing you were out there and alive, I might have faded in this accursed cell," he whispered heavily, "With everything that elf said to you, you never doubted me… thank you for being mine."

"I could never doubt you even if I wanted to," she said, tracing his jawline softly with her finger, "Besides, you're mine and I'm yours remember…" Her hand subconsciously touched Thror's key, which still hung concealed beneath her shirt, and she smiled, "And you might just be the best thing that's ever been mine."

He smiled and pulled her into another embrace, hungrier and more passionate than the last. There they stayed for a long while, how long exactly Hayden didn't know, for she was too busy soaking in everything of Thorin that she had missed in the last few weeks.

There was a scuffling sound outside the door of their cell and Hayden and Thorin broke away from one another, looking wearily towards the door.

When it didn't open immediately Hayden's heart leapt.

"Bilbo-" she said, and jumped up from the ground and made towards the door, but stopped abruptly when it swung open to reveal the last person she had expected.

"Hello," Legolas smiled tentatively, walking into the cell.

"What do you want?" she sighed, unable to hide her disappointment.

"I _was_ bringing you food," Legolas began, "But if you do not want it-"

"No," she shook her head quickly, "No I'm sorry; I'm just a little on edge."

"All is forgiven," the elf smiled, "My father can be a pretentious host at times."

Hayden scoffed, "Just a little bit."

"Forgive me," Legolas jumped quickly, giving her a small bow, "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Woodland Realm."

_Don't freak out, don't freak out_, Hayden kept repeating to herself, trying to calm her inner fan girl.

"Hayden Parker… no title," she added stupidly, but Legolas smiled and chuckled a little.

"I heard of your condition," he said, nodding to her stomach, "And I know it is very unsafe for a mother to go without food for so long a time."

"Oh that's really nice of you," she smiled appreciatively, "Though I think he needs it more than me," she added, looking over to Thorin.

Legolas looked momentarily at Thorin but did not linger on him, quickly returning his attention back to Hayden.

"I will send someone shortly with food and water," he said and with another short bow he made to walk out the cell.

"Oh Legolas?" Hayden called out before he could leave, "Would I be pushing it too much if I asked for my friends to have food and water aswell?"

Legolas pursed his lips and considered her, "I'll see what I can do." He gave her one last elegant smile and closed the door after him.

"And she does it again," Hayden grinned, inwardly patting herself on the back and taking her seat again beside Thorin.

"You scare me sometimes," he said weakly.

"Why?"

"You really do not know how charming you are," he said, shifting uncomfortably against the wall, "It's one of the reasons why men have an overwhelming need to please you."

"They do not," she scoffed, but frowned slightly.

"They do," Thorin retorted, "Why do you think Thranduil did not kill you immediately? Or why that elf prince just happened to know where your cell was and came to your aid?"

Hayden's frown deepened but she didn't say anything, lost for words.

"It's just as well I'm already taken then," she said after a pause.

"Mm, and what a lucky man he is," he almost purred, watching as she wound her fingers absentmindedly around his, lost in thought.

"Hayden," he frowned.

"Hm?"

"Why are there spider webs in your hair?"

She reached up and touched her hair, not realizing there were still traces of the web all over her body, "It's a long story-"

Hayden was interrupted by another knock on the door, and she quickly got up and went to it, expecting it to be Legolas again, but it wasn't.

This time a female elf came through the door, striding into the room arrogantly and holding a tray of food and water with her.

"Prince Legolas asked me to bring you food," she said begrudgingly, shoving the tray into Hayden's chest.

"Yeah I can see you're full of joy about it," Hayden scoffed quietly.

"Does he need healing?" the elf woman asked, nodding towards Thorin.

"I would assume so," Hayden said, putting down the food for the while and kneeling down beside Thorin, "Where are you hurting?"

"I think-" Thorin cringed as he tried to sit up, "I think I've got a rather large cut along my side."

"I can fix that if you wish," the elf said, approaching where Thorin sat but he shook his head.

"No, I think I would rather suffer-"

"Thorin don't be an idiot, you need healing," Hayden said reproachfully, "Show me the cut."

Thorin pursed his lips and sat up off the wall painfully, slipping his light shirt off and throwing it to the ground.

Hayden winced; the cut _was_ rather large and it looked extremely sore – it was a wonder he had managed to even walk with it.

The elf crouched on the other side of Thorin and examined the wound, with Hayden watching her carefully. Out of her pocket the elf took a vile of white cream and a few long bandages, which she handed to Hayden.

"Rub this on the wound then wrap it tightly," the elf explained, tearing her eyes reluctantly from Thorin's chest, "I will be available if you need any help-"

"No that'll be it," Hayden said, "But thank you."

"You're welcome," the elf nodded curtly and left the room without another word, and Hayden watched her suspiciously until she had gone.

"One would think _you_ had the bad past with the elves," Thorin observed, wincing as Hayden began to apply the cream to the cut.

"I didn't like her attitude," Hayden said quickly, "She was a complete asshole up until the moment you took off your shirt, then she was all _'oh I can help out if you want_._'_ Yeah right, over my dead body."

Thorin raised his eyebrows but she ignored him.

"There's no need to be so jealous," he smirked, "If I was jealous each time a man even looked at you there would be none left in the world."

"It's not jealousy," she said quite adamantly, "I would just much prefer if I am the only woman who gets to gawk at your fantastic body."

"You _are_," he continued to smirk.

"Good."

She finished wrapping up his cut and reached over to grab the tray of food she had placed on the ground and set it on her lap.

She handed Thorin a tankard of water and waited patiently for him to finished drinking before handing him some bread and cheese.

"Now, back to the spider webs," he said, before taking a bite of bread.

"Oh yes, that's a _fun_ story," she smirked, and began to explain what had happened to the Company after he had disappeared, in between bites of food.

"Wait – the _hobbit_ saved you all?" Thorin asked incredulously.

"Yes and-"

"Bilbo Baggins?"

"_Yes_, Thorin," she smirked, "He was very clever – we wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him."

"Hm… it seems I owe the hobbit another thank you," Thorin said considerately.

"I should think so!"

Hayden and Thorin jumped and looked around the cell for the source of the voice.

"Hayden, I'm outside the door," came the voice again and Hayden beamed.

She jumped up from her seat and sprinted over to the door to look through the small barred window.

"I have the Ring on so you won't be able to see me," Bilbo's whisper appeared through the window, "But I'm here."

"Oh Bilbo thank god," she breathed out in relief, "I thought something had happened to you."

"Of course not, I followed your instructions completely."

"Have you seen the others?"

"Yes they're all fine – one of the elves even brought them food and water."

"Good, they'll be needing it," Hayden smiled.

"Listen Hayden, I have a plan in mind," Bilbo continued, "But it may take me a few days to finalise – is that alright?"

"That's fine, just don't rush it – we can't risk getting caught."

"Right, I'll do just that," Bilbo said.

"Thank you so much, Bilbo," she smiled, and although she couldn't see him she swear she heard a smile in his voice too.

"Of course Hayden, we have to stick together after all," he said, "Oh and Fili and Kili told me to give you a message."

"What is that?"

"They hope you and Thorin are safe and the baby," Bilbo said, but he wasn't done there, "And they also say that if you and Thorin try any _'hanky panky'_ I believe their words were, they will know."

"Typical perverts," she muttered, but she couldn't help but smile – she missed them so much, "Good luck Bilbo – I'll talk to you soon?"

"As soon as I finalise my plan I will let you and Thorin know first."

"Stay safe Bilbo," she said quickly before he could disappear.

"And you, Hayden," came his voice and she heard his bare feet pattering against the cool stone as he disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

**Please review and give your opinions - feedback is much appreciated!**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 37 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	38. Chapter 37 - The Woodland Realm

**CHAPTER 37 - THE WOODLAND REALM**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews, keep them rolling! There's much to happen in the chapters to come...**

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** Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

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It took two weeks before Bilbo showed himself once again in front of Hayden and Thorin's cell.

Hayden felt like she was slowly going insane being locked up in this tiny space for such a long time; the only thing that kept her sane was having Thorin with her. The guards brought in regular meals and drinks for them, but she still felt disgusting. She hadn't had a bath since… well it had been too long a time to put it simply.

The only positive she could take from the situation was that she could spend time with Thorin alone, which was something they had rarely had. She found herself talking with him about absolutely everything she hadn't had a chance to while in England, even things she had never told anyone else, and he talked to her about just as much. Quite often they found themselves laughing together, and a lot of the time it was for no reason at all, but because they were both just so at peace being with only one another.

However, they were particularly careful not to let their being together alone lead to anything else, despite how tempting it was for them both. They knew it was too risky to chance being caught 'in the act,' but that didn't stop them from being more intimate than they had been since leaving Beorn's cabin.

It was around midday on their thirteenth day of being imprisoned (Hayden was counting) when she finally decided to voice her dreams that had not stopped occurring since their first night in Mirkwood.

Thorin was leaning with his back against the wall, and she was lying sideways with her head resting on his lap, looking up at the grey ceiling. Her hands were rested on her stomach, which had grown ever so slightly, and she doubted it was due to weight gain given how little she ate.

"Thorin?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember our first night in Mirkwood… when I woke up in that panic?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, I think I remember that… when you woke gasping another man's name – how could I forget?"

"Oh it wasn't like that," she growled through a smile, "Do you remember the name?"

"Was it Harry? Or Henry?"

"Harvey."

"Yes that's right. Why do you ask?"

"Have I… Have I ever told you how my parents died?"

Thorin frowned and looked down to her curiously, his hand winding gently through her hair.

"No, I do not think you have."

"I was two years old," she began, subconsciously biting her lip out of nerves; this was the first time she had ever voiced her parent's deaths to anyone out loud, "And we were on a rather large bus-"

"Bus?"

"It's like a car, only bigger and seats more people," she explained, "Anyway we were on a bus that was taking all the Royal Navy recruits to the airport."

"Your father?"

"Yes, my father," she nodded, "We were almost at the airport when a truck collided with the bus… from what I heard the only reason I survived was because my parents sheltered me from the fire and I was able to be rescued… not uninjured though."

She sat up off Thorin, spinning around to face him and lifting up the side of her top and gesturing to a long thin white scar on her hip that he had never noticed before.

"It's where a piece of metal cut into me," she explained, letting her top fall over the scar again.

"So my parents died, along with half of the other passengers onboard and… and Harvey."

She bit her lip harder and looked to the ground, wondering why she had brought this up in the first place.

"Who is Harvey?" Thorin asked, taking her hand in his.

"Harvey…" she began and took a deep breath to stop her voice from shaking, "Harvey… was my twin brother."

Thorin raised his eyebrows and blinked, like it was the last thing he was expecting to hear.

"You have a brother?"

"_Had_ a brother, yes, a twin," she nodded, "He was killed along with my parents and… I never told anyone about him. No one even knows he existed."

"Why?" he frowned.

"Because… because people already know you have parents, even if you're an orphan you had them at some point, it's a given," she said heavily, "But no one needs to know you had a brother… it's just more fuel for sympathy. Besides it was easier for me to pretend that Harvey never existed… just one less reminder that I was alone."

Thorin stayed silent and his grip on her hand tightened.

"No one's life is better without their brother," he said quietly.

She placed her other hand on his and gently rubbed her thumb over it, noticing he was slightly teary.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said softly.

"You didn't," he smiled weakly to her, "Please, continue."

"I only brought it up because of the dreams," she said.

"Right, the dreams – I must admit I am glad it is only your brother's name you are calling out in your sleep," Thorin's smirk returned.

Hayden pursed her lips at him but smiled, "It's so strange… I fall asleep and I hear Galadriel's voice."

"Lady Galadriel?"

"Yes, and she's calling my name and repeating _'they are waiting for you in the dungeons of the Great Wyrm,_'" Hayden continued.

"The Great Wyrm… but that sounds like-"

"Smaug I know," she frowned, "Then it changes to black and all I can hear are voices and… it's so crazy, but I think…"

"Yes?"

"I think the voices are my parents."

Thorin raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"It's crazy isn't it? I mean I never even knew my parents."

"It's not entirely impossible," Thorin said considerately, "You were two when they died, perhaps some part of your mind retained their voices… what exactly were they saying?"

"I think… I think it was their last conversation on the bus before they died."

"Oh," Thorin frowned.

"I memorized the conversation… and their voices," she smiled to herself, looking down at her hands, "My father kept saying Harvey would grow up to be in the army just like him, and my mother would say she would be happy if I became an architect…"

Thorin smiled and he watched Hayden carefully, noticing for the first time she was smiling when she talked about her parents, and it made him smile.

"I just don't understand why it's all coming back to me now," she shook her head, waking up from her reverie, "And why Galadriel keeps appearing aswell."

"It _is_ strange…" Thorin trailed off deep in thought.

"Hayden! Thorin!"

"Bilbo," Hayden grinned, leaping from the ground and running to the door in her excitement, "Bilbo, is it you?"

"Yes it's me," Bilbo's whisper appeared near the door.

"Oh I'm so glad you're safe, we were worrying," she sighed in relief.

"I'm fine. And more importantly, I have a plan – I am positive it will work," Bilbo said, and the confidence in his voice made her smile.

"You are sure?" Thorin asked, standing up for the first time in a long time and limping over to the door.

"As sure as I can be," Bilbo said, "Now here is the plan…"

And so Bilbo explained his plan to Hayden and Thorin, and although she already knew what was to happen, she listened closely to every word Bilbo had to say, just to be sure there were no faults in the plan. But to her, everything sounded like it would run smoothly.

That night there was to be a party of sorts held by King Thranduil, and the wood-elves, being quite fond of wine, would be supplied large barrels of the beverage. Bilbo had a hunch that the wine would not last too long, so when the barrels were to be sent back to Lake-town, the Company would sneak into them to escape from the magical barriers of the Woodland Realm.

"I am not so sure," Thorin frowned, "It sounds too dangerous..."

"Of course it is, but it's our only chance of escaping," Bilbo said with a sigh, "I will return here with the dwarves soon enough."

"As long as it get's us out of here," Hayden agreed.

"And Master Baggins," Thorin called out to the empty corridor.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he smiled, "Perhaps Gandalf was right about you after all."

"I'd like to think so," and with that Bilbo's footsteps disappeared once again down the corridor.

"Oh thank god, we're getting out of here," Hayden breathed out in relief with a smile, leaning against the door.

"I'm going to miss spending so much time with you," Thorin smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

Hayden smiled and rubbed her hands over his chest. "I know… but you know as soon we leave this place we can spend some _real_ time together," she flirted.

"Mm, I can hardly wait," he purred, pushing her up against the door. She lifted her leg up and rubbed the pad of her foot against his leg, teasingly biting the bottom of his lip.

"Don't make this harder than it already is, woman," he growled, pushing dangerously close to her.

"Any other time I might have pushed you away for saying that but right now I just find it really hot," she said breathlessly, and he chuckled before catching her lips with his in a deep kiss.

"We should get some rest before we have to leave," Hayden reluctantly broke away from him.

"Can't we do something else?" he moaned, kissing and nipping at her neck.

"Sure… We could paint a masterpiece? Or go out to dinner with the psychotic elf who's holding us captive?" she smirked.

"Oh now _psychotic _seems a little strong a word don't you think?"

Hayden jumped away from the door like it was on fire and Thorin stepped protectively in front of her, holding her back with his hand as the door to the cell swung open, revealing Thranduil in all his glory.

The elf King wore a smug smirk on his ageless face as he strode arrogantly into the cell, raising his eyebrows at Thorin.

"Well there's no need to look so surprised," Thranduil mused lightly, "You should have known I would pay you a visit sooner or later."

"What do you want?" Thorin growled.

"Oh now that's no attitude for dwarven royalty – I _did_ keep you alive did I not?" Thranduil took a few daring steps closer and Thorin's grip on Hayden's arm tightened.

"I have come to request the company of your beautiful lover, Thorin Oakenshield," Thranduil smiled wickedly, looking slightly over Thorin's shoulder to Hayden, who had raised her eyebrows.

When they didn't reply Thranduil continued, speaking as if he was having a casual conversation with good friends.

"And now you ask '_but why, Thranduil King'_?" Thranduil grinned elegantly, "Well you see I am hosting a party tonight for my subjects; there will be food, music, wine – oh, but Hayden will not be drinking in her condition of course – and I would be absolutely delighted if Miss Hayden would join me."

Hayden stared blankly for a moment and couldn't help herself – she gave a short burst of laughter, which shocked both men.

"You're kidding?" she laughed, "_You_ want _me_ to go to a party with you after you kept me locked in a cell?"

"It was only for a week," Thranduil waved a casual hand.

"Try twelve days and fourteen hours," she said, stepping beside Thorin to face the elf.

"Oh she's a smart one, and funny too," Thranduil smirked to Thorin, "I can tell what you see in her… though what she sees in you is unclear to me-"

"Hey no one gets to insult Thorin but me," she interrupted him, and then frowned _really Hayden that was the best retort you could come up with?_ "Why do you want _me_ there anyway?"

"Would you rather spend this blessed night in a dreary cell with a dwarf?" Thranduil smirked, but Hayden shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah I think I would."

"I'm afraid you do not have much of a choice, my dear," Thranduil continued to smirk wickedly, "You see I only asked to be polite. But you _will_ attend this party. I shall send someone in a few hours to help clean you up… no guest of mine will be seen like that."

"And what if I refuse to go?" she crossed her arms defiantly and stared him down as best she could, but his eyes were extremely piercing.

"You will come," Thranduil said firmly, "Or you will watch your precious _King_ die a slow painful death."

With that the elven King exited the cell, slamming the door shut behind him.

"_No one gets to insult Thorin but me_?" Thorin repeated, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Not my best line," she mumbled, biting her lip, "Thorin this is going to ruin everything, what are we going to do? How are we going to tell Bilbo? How-?"

"Shh," Thorin said, soothingly rubbing his hands along her arms, "We will figure this out – we always do."

"Right… Okay… You're right, it'll- it'll be fine…" she took deep breaths trying to calm herself.

"When they come for you, you will go to the party," Thorin explained, "When Bilbo sets me free I will find you and take you to the barrels and we will meet the others there – do you understand?"

"Yeah okay," she nodded, still taking deep breaths, "We can do this… we can do this… we can do this, can't we?"

"Yes we can," Thorin said confidently, "And remember Hayden – no harm will come to you or our baby, I promise."

"Okay," she smiled and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Hayden spent the next few hours trying her best not to panic. She was more nervous than she had ever been on this journey, and it was only because, for once, Hayden Parker had no idea what was going to happen.

"Hayden Parker?"

Hayden and Thorin stood up as someone entered the cell, and Hayden inwardly groaned when she saw it was the elf woman who had _so kindly_ offered to heal Thorin while his shirt was off.

"I've come to prepare you for the King's party," the elf woman said.

"Great, I can hardly control my excitement," Hayden muttered bitterly.

"I will wait outside for you to join me," the elf said, looking from Thorin to Hayden and quickly departing the cell.

"You remember our plan?" Thorin asked her, stroking the ends of her hair that hung over her shoulder.

"Yes – go with Thranduil, wait for you to find me… and stay away from the wine," she added with a smirk.

"Good… and if I do not come by the end of the night do not try to escape – I will find you no matter what it takes," he said confidently.

"Got it," she nodded nervously, "But please try come by the end of the night."

He smiled and chuckled softly, running his hand up her neck through her hair and kissing her one last time. She wrapped her arms around his waist and deepened their kiss for a few more moments, so that when she broke away she did so as slowly as possible and rather reluctantly.

"I will see you soon, my love," Thorin whispered, giving her one last kiss.

"Not soon enough," she sighed, and broke away from his arms.

"And Hayden," Thorin called out, "If any man lays a hand on you – I will kill them."

"I don't doubt that," she smiled, "But I'm pregnant and in extreme need of a bath – so they're gonna have to escape me first."

Thorin grinned and she took one last look at him, waving a miserable goodbye before the cell door closed, separating them.

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**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 38 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	39. Chapter 38 - Thorin's Secret

**CHAPTER 38 - THORIN'S SECRET**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

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"I look like an elf," Hayden muttered to herself, her lip curling in distaste as she examined herself in the mirror.

The elf woman – Tauriel her name was – had led Hayden through the winding corridors of the Woodland Realm and brought her to her own chambers. Hayden was reluctant to co-operate with anything, but the thought that Thorin and the Company were still prisoners to Thranduil made her bite her tongue and follow orders. That, and she was extremely desperate for a bath.

Tauriel had prepared the bath for her and laid out the clothes that Thranduil had personally requested she wear. They were nothing like what the elves in Rivendell had given her, but she wasn't sure which she preferred. Unlike the High Elves fine silk, the Wood-elves had clothes made of more natural resources, like cotton and tree bark.

Laid out for Hayden was a flowing green dress, with long sleeves that flared at the ends and a rather low cut collar. It clung to her skin in an uncomfortable manner, and she was very aware of how revealing it was. It came in tight at the waist and outlined all her feminine bumps and curves. If she wasn't so begrudged in wearing it she might have thought it was very flattering to her figure.

"A great improvement," Tauriel nodded approvingly, tying a few strands of Hayden's hair back so that her face was not covered as much, "You look like a proper Wood-elf."

"Thanks," she muttered, taking a deep breath.

"How far are you along?" Tauriel asked.

"Excuse me?"

"In your pregnancy," the elf nodded towards Hayden's stomach, where her hands were subconsciously crossed over the small bump.

"Oh right," she smiled, "About a month now, I would guess… is it that obvious?"

"No, but I have seen enough women go through it," Tauriel gave an elegant smile, "And I doubted you had merely put on the weight while in the dungeons."

"I suppose it is a bit obvious now," Hayden said, tilting her head to examine her waist in the mirror.

"It is Thorin Oakenshield's child, is it not?" the elf continued curiously.

Hayden nodded, knowing she didn't mean anything offensive by it.

"Tauriel," a male elf announced his presence and entered the room, "I âr aníra Hayden si." _[The King desires Hayden now]_

"Hene thel tol si," Tauriel replied in Sindarin, and the male elf disappeared. _[She will come now.]_

"Your presence is requested immediately by the King," Tauriel translated for Hayden, "I will show you where the party is to be held."

"Right," Hayden nodded, following Tauriel out of the room, "Oh- and thank you, for helping me I mean."

"You are welcome," Tauriel bowed her head gracefully and allowed Hayden a small smile before continuing on in front, her red hair waving elegantly down her back.

Hayden watched as the elf bounded fluently down the corridor – she wished she could achieve such effortless beauty like that.

Tauriel led Hayden into a smaller chamber, where a few elves were gathered together talking. The only two she did recognise happened to share the same blonde hair and pale narrow face.

"Ah, Hayden!" Thranduil grinned brightly almost immediately after she had entered the room, "Don't we look absolutely ravishing tonight."

The elf King approached Hayden and sunk into a low bow, taking her hand and kissing it softly.

Though she hated the king with a burning passion, she couldn't help but find some humour in his confidence and careless arrogance that even Thorin, as arrogant as he was, could not possess. It was quite amusing to watch when he wasn't threatening to kill someone she loved.

"Now isn't this a better way to spend your night than in that dreadful cell?" Thranduil mocked, straightening up to his full height.

"I'm afraid Thorin still has my vote," she smirked. She couldn't help but join in his sarcastic banter; she was too much of a cynical to attempt to resist it.

"Perhaps we could change that?" Thranduil said, "Legolas! Come escort lovely Miss Hayden to the party."

At his father's orders Legolas stepped forward and offered Hayden his arm, which she took with a small smile. No matter how much they looked alike, she knew Legolas was nothing like his father.

"Shall we?" Legolas asked, and led her through grand oaken doors to a large hall. Wood-elves could be seen talking and laughing, there were tables overflowing with food and there was soft music playing in the background. Lined around the walls of the hall were large wooden barrels that Hayden could only assume held the wine, because they seemed to be the main attraction of the elves.

"Would you care to dance?" Legolas gestured to the dance floor, where a few elven couples spun around elegantly.

"Sure," she said, thinking she might as well do something to pass the time and distract her from worrying about Thorin and the Company. _They should have escaped by now shouldn't have they?_

* * *

Thorin sat alone in the corner of the dark cell, which had lost a lot of its light now that Hayden had gone.

His heart was already aching painfully for her, and she had only been gone a few hours. How would he have survived the last fortnight if she hadn't been with him?

He thought deeply of their time together in the cell. He wished he could have spent that quality time with her in a nicer place, but he took what he could get. To him, any time with Hayden was time well spent.

He had loved how open she had been with him, and he was not surprised at all just how freely they talked with one another, like they had known each other their entire lives. Of course he had known that from their first conversation, when he had offered to accompany her to buy the company food.

_"You are surprisingly easy to talk to, you know?" Hayden said, "You look very scary and tough, but you're the only person I've ever talked to who hasn't told me to shut up about Middle Earth."_

_"I would never tell you to shut up," Thorin smiled._

Thorin smiled to himself and thought about their last conversation… they had more in common than he had realised. She had lost her brother, granted she had never known him, but she had still lost him. That's what confused him the most when she had mentioned her dreams, involving her family and the elf.

He hadn't had the courage to tell her at the time, but he had been having similar dreams that had been repeating ever since that first night in Mirkwood… dreams he wasn't ready to divulge yet until he knew their true meaning… but they were always the same, every night.

* * *

_"Thorin."_

_A ghostly whisper of his name reached his ears. _

_"Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror."_

_The voice would continue, coming closer and closer with each word._

_"They are waiting for you Thorin…"_

_A light outline began to appear in his vision._

_"They are waiting for you Thorin…"_

_Out of the light Galadriel formed, her light gaze piercing his soul with every movement._

_"In the dungeons of the Great Wyrm…" _

And then the scene would change…

* * *

_"Take care of my boys, Thorin," Dís told him, putting a loving hand on his cheek, "They will need you."_

_"Aye, I will watch them," Thorin replied weakly, "Do not worry yourself, sister."_

_"But I _do_ worry for them… and you especially," Dís said, observing him carefully with her ever watchful gaze._

_"Do not worry for me, Dís," he shrugged, "I have survived this long… and I will see that when I return I have a home to give you."_

_"You've given me a home Thorin, all our people," her voice began to rise slightly, "You don't have to do this."_

_"Please do not start this again," he sighed, "I _will_ slay the dragon and I _will_ take back our home… if not for our people then for grandfather and father… there is no choice Dís, not for me."_

_"Thorin… always the hero," she smirked, "You could stay here in the Mountains… stay and live out your life with those who love you."_

_"Who? You? Fili and Kili? No one loves me," he said stiffly, "No one will ever love me."_

_"And what do you expect to find on this quest then, if not love and respect?" Dís asked._

_"I am not leaving to find _love_," he spat, "I leave to find us a better life! I do not care for love… it is a waste of time."_

_"You say that now," Dís said gently, "But a time will come when you will love. You will love someone more than life itself and it will hurt… I know because I feel it for my husband and my sons."_

_"Goodbye Dís," Thorin said, beginning to grow impatient of her riddles. He kissed her on the forehead once and bid her goodbye._

_"If you return to me with a love in your life Thorin Oakenshield I will never let you live it down!" Dis called after him, and he turned to see a grin on her face that reminded him so much of Frerin..._

* * *

Thorin frowned and his heart ached uncomfortably. He didn't like reliving that memory as it is, but now he was forced to revisit it each night in his dreams… it was beginning to be a personal hell.

That was the last conversation he had had with his sister before leaving the Blue Mountains, and now he suspected it would be their last ever conversation.

Shortly after his leaving he had heard news that orcs had raided the Mountains where his kin were hiding… and his sister. He doubted very much that when he returned she would still be alive.

He could picture the constant pestering he would have had to endure from her when he would have introduced her to Hayden. Dís had a certain talent for annoying him, just like their brother Frerin had, and just like his nephews had inherited. Though he was much less likely to hit Dís out of pure annoyance than the others.

He could just imagine the look on her face if she had met Hayden. Grinning wickedly up at him with an air of triumph that she had been right after all – the great Thorin Oakenshield _was_ capable of love, and it felt exactly how she had described it.

Suddenly a scuffling sound began to echo outside the door and Thorin looked up expectantly, hoping that it was the hobbit coming to free him already.

Just as his hopes were quickly fading, there was a small rattling noise to be heard and the door opened the tiniest fraction.

Thorin stood up quickly and went to the door, peering outside it and seeing a familiar sight that made him smile.

"Thorin!"

The dwarves stood outside his cell, smiling at him as he opened the door and stepped out to join them.

Almost immediately he was knocked back into the wall by two figures, hugging him around his waist just like they had as children.

"Thank Durin you're alive uncle," Fili said, letting go of his uncle and restoring his dignity.

"Aye, we were worrying for you and Hayden," Kili said, and Thorin patted them both on the back, in too high spirits to be annoyed at their inappropriate show of affection.

"All is well," Thorin nodded, his eyes passing over his Company. They were all disheveled and dirty, and their armor had been removed, but they were well rested, fed and _alive_, which was all that mattered.

"Where is the hobbit?" Thorin asked, and right on cue Bilbo appeared, pushing his way through the dwarves to Thorin.

"The barrels are being piled as we speak, we have to hurry if we're to make it on time," Bilbo said, but stopped and frowned at Thorin, and then continued to look around at the Company, "Where is Hayden?" Bilbo asked slowly.

Thorin sighed, "There may be a slight delay…"

Without skipping any important details, Thorin quickly explained where Hayden was and his plan to get her back.

"There's just one problem uncle," Fili frowned, "You're not an elf."

"Thank you for that enlightenment," Thorin snapped.

"I mean to say, you won't exactly blend in with the crowd will you?" Fili said, making a valid point, "But if we were to send a certain _smaller_ person with a certain _magical ring_…?"

Bilbo bit his lip and answered confidently, "I will go and find Hayden, if need be."

But Thorin shook his head, "I promised I would meet her. I promised I would keep her safe. I cannot do that if I let the hobbit go in my place."

"What if I was to go and find her, and you meet us?" Bilbo proposed, "Then you can accompany her to the barrels as you wish."

Thorin pursed his lips, knowing they were short of time as is, so he came to a quick decision, allowing his pride to falter for now.

"Fine," he nodded sharply, "I will be waiting a few corridors away for you to come."

Bilbo nodded, giving the dwarves directions to where the barrels were kept and sending them on their way.

"Follow me," Bilbo said to Thorin once the dwarves had disappeared. The hobbit gestured down a dark corridor and Thorin followed, and surprisingly without hesitation.

"You know where the party is being held?" Thorin asked, keeping his voice low.

"In the main hall," Bilbo nodded confidently and was met by Thorin's questioning stare. "When one spends two weeks wandering halls you come to know them off heart."

"Actually it has only been thirteen days," Thorin mused, subconsciously repeating Hayden's snide remark.

Bilbo raised an eyebrow, "Did Hayden say that?"

"How did you know?"

"It is too critical not to be her," the hobbit smirked.

"I think the woman is beginning to rub off on me," Thorin sighed.

"You should be glad – there are worse traits you could pick up than from the woman who loves you," Bilbo shrugged.

Thorin smiled and continued to follow Bilbo down the dimly lit corridors, watching as he skillfully directed them through the endless maze of twists and turns.

"It seems I am in your debt once again, Master Baggins," Thorin finally said, after debating it for a long while internally.

"I'm sorry?"

"Once again you have saved my life, the lives of my kin and my Hayden," Thorin said, "I am going to be in quite a debt to you once this journey is over."

"Right- well let's focus on saving Hayden first," Bilbo nodded, and smiled slightly, "But it would seem so, yes."

Thorin noted how confident the hobbit was, quite an improvement from his usual nervous and stuttering self.

Bilbo stopped suddenly, his ears pricking and noticing the echoing sounds of people approaching.

"Quick – hide," Bilbo said, gesturing for Thorin to follow him into a darker corridor to hide. And just in time aswell, for as soon as they disappeared two Wood-elves came striding past, wearing long flowing robes and holding glasses of wine in their hands.

"Do you have a sword Thorin?" Bilbo asked, once they had resumed their walking.

"It was taken," Thorin replied bitterly – he had grown rather fond of that sword, elven made or not.

"You can use mine for now," Bilbo said, unsheathing his sword and handing it to Thorin, who looked uncertainly at it. "It'll do for now," Bilbo said, noticing Thorin's expression.

"Tell me Master Baggins, do you fight with this or pick your teeth with it?" Thorin mused, examining the sword, which looked a great deal smaller in his hands.

Bilbo made to reply but stopped once again in his tracks.

"I think we've reached the hall," Bilbo said, nodding forward and listening closely. Sure enough, the sounds of music and laughter were drifting to them from a few corridors away.

"Wait for me here," Bilbo explained, taking the Ring out of his pocket, "I'll return with Hayden as fast as I can."

"Make haste hobbit, we cannot risk them finding us," Thorin said worriedly. Bilbo nodded and slipped the Ring onto his finger, making Thorin jump slightly when he disappeared into thin air.

"Be safe," Thorin whispered into the darkness, praying that the hobbit would find and bring Hayden safely back to him.

* * *

**Excuse if my Sindarin isn't perfect, but it looks so cool in the story :)**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 38 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	40. Chapter 39 - Runaways

**CHAPTER 39 - RUNAWAYS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

Bilbo made his way down the corridor to a small oak door, to which he knew was an entrance hall of some kind. He assumed the main hall could be found off it, and that would lead him to Hayden.

He hadn't given much thought as to how he would actually get Hayden's attention while remaining invisible, but as he walked his hobbit brain whirred at full speed, thinking over the possibilities.

Soon enough Bilbo had carefully entered the entrance hall, breathing out in relief when he saw it was empty, and was about to open two large oak doors when they burst open, giving him quite the fright.

Bilbo jumped back, forgetting for a moment he was invisible, until he realised the drunken elves were ignoring him for a reason. While he had the chance, Bilbo slipped through the jarred doors so as not to draw any attention to himself and entered the hall.

It was full of Wood-elves, laughing and talking and dancing merrily around the wooden floors, each holding a rather large glass of wine that was full to the brim.

Bilbo's keen eyes scanned the room quickly, looking for the familiar young girl who would look out of place amongst the elves. What he wasn't expecting to see was an elf who looked like the familiar young girl.

"Hayden?" Bilbo muttered, forgetting once again he was invisible and earning a few curious stares from elves nearby. He quickly held his breath and the elves shrugged it off, returning to their conversations and wine.

His eyes returned to Hayden and he couldn't help but smile. She looked absolutely radiant; more like an elf than a human. Her hair was curled neatly down her shoulders and she wore a dress that hugged her curves in quite a un-Hayden-like fashion, but it suited her. And if he wasn't mistaken (and he wasn't) there was the faint outline of a small bump growing just below her stomach.

Steeling himself, Bilbo began to make his way through the crowd of elves, dodging skillfully around them and being particularly conscious of where he trod.

Hayden, he saw, was in a conversation with a blonde elf, who happened to look strikingly like King Thranduil. She was talking, smiling every so often, but the hobbit noticed how her fingers tapped nervously against her legs and her eyes kept darting to the various entrances to the hall, in hope of seeing any sign of the Company.

The sign came though, and not in the way Bilbo or Hayden had wanted.

An elf in full body armor came striding through the main doors, causing quite a raucous as he did so.

"Thranduil King!" he cried, looking madly around for the elf King. Almost immediately the talking and laughing stopped and so did the music, all eyes turning to the guard.

"What is it?" Thranduil's voice sounded from the throne at the end of the hall.

"The prisoners," the elf said hurriedly, "They have escaped."

Bilbo's mouth dropped in surprise and panic, his eyes darting quickly between Hayden and Thranduil, who had both had a similar reaction to him.

There was a moment of rather stunned silence, followed by a sequence of events that happened almost immediately after the hall woke from its stupor.

Thranduil stood up from his throne and began ordering for the guards to surround the exits to the Woodland Realm to prevent the dwarves from escaping. The Wood-elves quickly forgot their festivities and went into fully blown war strategy, and because of that it did not take long for Bilbo to lose Hayden. He just hoped he would find her soon.

* * *

"The prisoners," the elf guard said hurriedly, "They have escaped."

_Shit_.

Hayden began to panic immediately. What was she going to do? She hadn't discussed with Thorin what they would do if the elves discovered the dwarves had escaped. Should she try to escape while she could or wait in the hall?

"You have to leave," Legolas whispered quickly into her ear, unheard by the elves filing out of the hall, "I will help you."

Hayden frowned up at the elf, "Why? Isn't that treason?"

"My loyalty lies with my kin, and always has," Legolas said considerately, "But I know what is right… and keeping you here against your will is not what I consider an act of good faith on my father's behalf."

"So you're going to help me?"

"I will try," Legolas said, casting a warning glance at his father, who was too distracted giving out orders to notice them, "Follow me."

Legolas grabbed her hand and led her quickly through the crowd towards the oaken doors.

"How did you plan to escape?" he asked conspicuously as they walked.

"The barrels – the wine barrels that are sent to Lake-town," Hayden replied quietly, and Legolas raised his eyebrows.

"Quite ingenious," he smirked, "Did you think of this?"

"No it was a friend of mine actually-"

"Daro!" _[Stop!] _Thranduil's voice came booming down the hall, and she spun around with a grimace to see him pointing towards her from his throne, surrounded by guards, "Tiro!" _[Guards!]_

"Oh shit," she muttered, but before she could see the guards beginning to run towards her, Legolas had grabbed her hand and began to pull her along at a run. He moved with an elegancy that only an elf could possess, winding with ease through the crowd at a hurried running pace.

They had only just made it to the oaken doors when Hayden knocked hard into someone and went toppling to the ground, falling on something hard as she landed.

"Hayden, are you alright?" Legolas asked hurriedly, bending down to help her up.

"Bilbo!" she gasped.

Out of thin air the hobbit had appeared, laying underneath Hayden – it seemed he was the hard object she had knocked into.

"Hello Hayden," Bilbo smiled nervously, shifting uncomfortably under her weight.

"Oh sorry," she smiled sheepishly, accepting Legolas' helping hand and jumping up quickly, pulling Bilbo with her.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she couldn't help but smile and give him a tight hug.

"Finding you of course," Bilbo smiled, "Thorin is-"

"I hate to break up this little reunion," Legolas said quickly, "But we _are_ being pursued by my father's guards."

"Oh right-" Hayden nodded quickly, looking behind Legolas to where the guards were pushing their way through the crowd towards them.

Legolas took Hayden's hand once again and gestured for Bilbo to follow him as he led the way into a dimly lit corridor, which was still bustling with elves. On his way, Legolas picked up two abandoned swords leaning against a wall and threw them back to Hayden and Bilbo.

"Here, take these," he told them, "You'll be needing them if they catch us."

"Great," Hayden muttered, keeping a tight hold of his hand.

"Hayden-" Bilbo puffed close behind her, "I need to tell you something."

"Can't it wait Bilbo?" she huffed.

"It's Thorin- he's waiting for us-"

"Watch out!" Legolas cried, spinning them around in the opposite direction as guards suddenly appeared in front of them.

They were now running at full speed, Hayden and Bilbo putting all their faith in Legolas and hoping he knew where he was going.

The three turned a sharp corner and stopped immediately, two elven guards looming menacingly in front of them, bows and arrows ready to fire.

Legolas pushed Hayden back and stepped forward, addressing the guards in Sindarin.

"Prestad?"Legolas said. _[Is there trouble?]_

"Man cerig, Legolas?"one of the guards said, looking to his fellow guard in confusion. _[What are you doing, Legolas?]_

"Goheno nin," Legolas said, "Ni boe lain nîn mellon." _[Forgive me. I must free my friends.]_

The guard's faces hardened.

"Gwarth," the second guard spat, "E gweria în noss an _sen_?" _[Betrayer. He betrays his kindred for _this_?]_

The guard nodded to Hayden and Bilbo, who looked on clueless. Legolas' lip curled in annoyance.

"No dirweg," Legolas growled, "An ni dartha Caun ned i Ardh." _[Beware. For I remain Prince of the Realm.]_

The guards remained quiet for a long while, thinking over Legolas' words.

"Ni thel nara I Âr ned sen gwerio,"the guard said heavily. _[I will tell the King of this betrayal.]_

"Dae mae,"Legolas shrugged casually, taking steps back towards Hayden and Bilbo while he talked, "No! Legolas ion ned Thranduil, gweria în noss an în mellon." _[Very well. May it be so! Legolas, son of Thranduil, betrays his kindred for his friends.]_

He grinned snidely and let out an elegant laugh before turning his back on the guards and striding back to Hayden and Bilbo.

As Hayden watched, one of the guards snarled, drew his sword silently from its sheath and followed Legolas, raising it above his head ready to strike down on the Prince's head.

"Legolas!" Hayden cried, running forward and pushing him out of the way, her own sword clashing hard against the guard's sword, meeting his blow.

Legolas stumbled back in shock, and recovered just as quickly, launching himself into a flying kick and hitting the second guard hard in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Hayden swiped her sword away from the guard's before his strength could overwhelm her and stepped back, sword at the ready. The elf snarled and took a whole step forward, and just as his sword was about to clash against Hayden's, Legolas kicked out again at the guard's sword arm. The elf's sword was knocked clean out of his hand, and as he turned around Legolas struck him hard in the face, and he dropped beside the other unconscious guard.

Hayden stared in shock, her eyes wide and darting between the unconscious bodies and Legolas.

"Oh my god…" she gasped softly.

"Hayden – we must go," Legolas said, tugging at her arm.

"Come, we need to get out of here," Bilbo said.

The urgency in their voices woke Hayden from her stupor and she nodded.

"Right, yeah let's go," she breathed and Legolas took her hand and squeezed it gently to comfort her.

"The water gate is not far from here," Legolas said, leading the way once again at a quick walk, "Just a few corridors-"

"Ennas! Daro hain!" _[There! Stop them!]_

The three spun around quickly and there hearts dropped simultaneously. Behind them was a group of elven guards, pointing in there direction and drawing their swords.

"Legolas," Bilbo muttered weakly, "What do we do now?"

"We run," Legolas shrugged, "Noro!" _[Run!]_

Hayden didn't have to speak Sindarin to know what Legolas had said. She turned and ran for her life – literally.

She heard Bilbo puffing along beside her, and Legolas bounding silently and effortlessly on her other side. She looked behind her quickly and saw the elves were close behind them, and were gaining closer by the second.

"Legolas," she breathed heavily, "We'll never outrun them."

Legolas nodded quickly and without a word, he ran sideways into her, knocking her and Bilbo roughly to the side so that they fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"Hey!" Hayden groaned, rubbing her side. She made to get up but Legolas drew his sword and pointed it to her throat. "What the fu-?"

"Caun Legolas!" one of the elves cried when the group of guards had reached them, "Man agoreg?" _[Prince Legolas! What did you do?]_

"I found these prisoners trying to escape," Legolas replied in the common-tongue.

"Allow us to take over for you, your Excellency," a guard bowed, stepping forward, but Legolas held out a hand.

"There will be no need for that," Legolas shook his head, "I will return them to the dungeons."

"But my Lord-"

"Thank you, but I do not require your help," Legolas said, "Please inform my father that two of the prisoners have been captured."

The guards looked concernedly around at one another, but they could not directly defy their Princes orders. So, rather reluctantly, they bowed their heads to him and filed down the corridor in the direction they had come from.

Legolas stayed with his sword pointed at Hayden's throat until the last of the guards had disappeared, and he finally let the weapon drop.

"What the hell was that?" Hayden coughed, her hand rubbing the small cut where the blade had slightly dug into her skin.

"I apologise," Legolas said sympathetically, "I had to seem convincing or they would never have left."

"Oh… well thanks- again," Hayden smiled, taking his hand and getting off the ground.

As she stood up, however, she felt a dull throbbing pain pulsed through her lower abdomen and she clutched her stomach with a groan.

"What is it?" Legolas asked concernedly, "Are you hurt?"

"No- no I'm fine," she waved a hand. The pain disappeared as fast as it had appeared, and although she shrugged it off, she couldn't ignore the feeling that she had felt it before.

"What are we to do now?" Bilbo asked.

"I will lead you to the cells that hold the wine barrels – your friends are waiting for you there are they not?" Legolas asked.

"Yes they should-" Bilbo stopped abruptly, "Oh sticklebats!"

"What?" Hayden asked, holding back a laugh – was that the hobbit equivalent of a curse?

"Thorin."

"What about him-?"

"Hayden!"

Hayden's heart leapt through the roof.

"Thorin?" she spun around, and saw his familiar form striding towards her down the corridor. His hair was damp with sweat and his face was covered with dry blood, as was the small sword he carried by his side, but she couldn't have cared less.

"Thorin!" she smiled and ran forward to leap into his arms.

Thorin smiled and threw Bilbo's sword to the side (much to the hobbit's disapproval) wrapping his arms around Hayden and lifting her off the ground.

"You didn't think I sent the hobbit to find you _alone_, did you?" he asked, his voice muffled in the crook of her neck.

She laughed softly but didn't reply, too overjoyed to even speak. She broke away from him with a soft smile.

"I suppose you will no longer be needing my help?" Legolas smirked.

"I think we'll be fine from here," Hayden smiled.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Thorin growled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Legolas.

"_Legolas_ saved our lives – more than once," Hayden said.

"You saved my life also," Legolas smiled at her, "I will not forget that."

"Er, perhaps it would be best if we left now?" Bilbo asked, nervously tapping his foot on the ground.

Legolas nodded and dipped his head to the hobbit.

"Of course," Legolas said thoughtfully, and glanced curiously down at Bilbo, "What race are you, if I may ask?"

"I-I'm a hobbit," Bilbo said with a slight frown.

"A hobbit? On a journey with dwarves?" Legolas laughed, "Now I've heard everything."

The elf then turned to Thorin and Hayden and gave a low bow.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Thorin Oakenshield," Legolas said, with a light smirk, "You have quite the extraordinary woman."

Thorin nodded stiffly, "I am aware."

"I do hope we meet again Hayden," Legolas smiled, his eyes twinkling, "And perhaps if we do we will be better acquainted."

"I hope so, Legolas," she smiled, "Thank you for everything."

"The pleasure is all mine," he grinned, taking her hand and bending low to kiss it.

She heard Thorin click his tongue and clear his throat and Legolas stepped back, waving his hand in farewell.

"I wish you all the best for your journey," he called to them, before disappearing into the darkness.

Thorin watched the elf's retreating back carefully, and as soon as Legolas had vanished he turned to Hayden.

"I cannot leave you alone for a few hours, can I?"

"Why?" she frowned.

"Not only have you befriended an _elf_ but you look like one aswell," he said, nodding to her hair and dress.

"It wasn't exactly my first choice of wardrobe," she scoffed, "But I couldn't turn up without anything on now could I?"

From a few feet away Bilbo cleared his throat impatiently and began tapping his foot with more earnest.

"I would like to get out of here if you don't mind," he said, frowning at them.

"Come," Thorin nodded, taking Hayden's hand and walking past Bilbo, who was quick to join them.

"We're not too far away," Bilbo said, "All we need is to turn left at the next corridor and there should be a-"

"Ow," Hayden groaned quietly, clutching at her stomach.

"Hayden?" Thorin asked worriedly, "Are you hurt?"

"My stomach- is- cramping," she breathed heavily, wrapping her arms around her abdomen, but she continued to walk.

"Hayden for the love of Durin, stop," Thorin ordered, holding her in place with his hands, "What's happening?"

"It's nothing – I probably just ate something bad," she shrugged, the dull pain coursing through her lower stomach like a poison. She made to keep walking but Thorin held her tighter.

"Is it- is it the baby?" Thorin asked, voicing the one fear she had been repressing.

Hayden bit her lip and looked down at her slightly swollen stomach.

"No- no I'm sure everything's fine," she said, breathing heavily through the pain, "Let's just get out of here."

Thorin seemed like he wanted to argue, but he knew they could not linger for too long, so he reluctantly took her hand and continued to walk, following Bilbo's lead.

Hayden continued on silently, gripping Thorin's hand for comfort and concentrating on trying to handle the pain. She knew she had felt this kind of pain before, but she was trying hard to repress those thoughts.

_Just food poisoning_, she repeated to herself, _Or even a stomach cramp… It's not what you think…_

* * *

**So I kind of chipped a bone in my elbow over the weekend... yeah, some people go to parties on the weekend, I however like to spend it in the emergency room. My writing may be a little slow for the next month or so because I have a big ass cast on my left arm. Oops!**

**Hope you like this chapter, as always please leave your feedback :)**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 38 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


	41. Chapter 40 - Rocky Rapids

**CHAPTER 40 - ROCKY RAPIDS**

**Chapter 40... wow time goes fast. If you've stayed with me this far I want to say now _thank you_! Your support is my motivation :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkien, in all his glory.**

* * *

"Where are all the barrels?" Hayden asked weakly.

Her, Thorin and Bilbo had reached the room where the empty wine barrels were kept, only half the barrels were already missing.

"Oh no," Bilbo sighed exasperatedly, and ran forward to the remaining barrels.

The hobbit ran from barrel to barrel, checking them for any sign of the dwarves, but they were not there.

"They have been sent already then?" Thorin asked stiffly.

"It would seem so," Bilbo sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

"So we have to send ourselves," Hayden said, and both Thorin and Bilbo turned to stare at her. "What?"

"I don't think it's that simple," Bilbo frowned, "If we drop the barrels into the water the tide will move them before we have a chance to jump into them."

"Well we have to try," Hayden said, walking over to a closed trap door that could only lead to the river. "How do you open this?"

Bilbo quickly made his way to the wall furthest from them where there was a long lever sticking out of the ground. He pushed all his weight onto it and slowly the trap door began to lift, revealing the pale night sky and a meter long drop to the rushing water below.

Hayden looked out of it slightly and clicked her tongue, her mind whirring to try think of a plan that didn't involve them drowning or freezing to death.

"There's a tiny ledge along the wall here," Hayden pointed down the edge of the wall just above the tide level.

"What are you suggesting?" Thorin asked suspiciously.

"I could balance myself on the edge and hold the barrels while you both jump in them," she proposed.

"And what of you?" Thorin asked.

Hayden paused; she had forgotten about herself, "I'll swim; I'm sure it's not that far."

"It is too dangerous, and you would freeze," Thorin shook his head adamantly.

"Well do you have a better plan?" she snapped.

"Thorin's right, Hayden," Bilbo said, frowning in thought, "I will do it."

"Bilbo we can't leave you-" Hayden began to protest.

"No, I'll be fine," Bilbo said confidently, "We have to be quick though, the elves will be searching for you."

"I don't think we have any other choice," Hayden bit her lip.

"Oh!" Bilbo said and smiled, "But you might need…"

The hobbit looked around him and dodged off to a dark corner of the room out of their sight. When he returned he was holding a familiar blue rucksack, and handed it quite triumphantly to Hayden.

"Oh my god, my rucksack!" Hayden laughed and flung her arms around Bilbo, much to his surprise, "How did you-?"

"I came across it in my wanderings," the hobbit shrugged, his cheeks flushing at her sudden rush of affection, "I knew it had your books and important things in it."

"That's so sweet," she smiled, "I can't thank you enough Bilbo."

Bilbo shrugged and waved a hand, "Go change, or you'll freeze to death in that dress."

"Right," she beamed, making off quickly to a dark corner to change into the spare running pants and shirt that she had packed just in case.

When she returned from changing Bilbo was already lowering himself carefully onto the ledge and Thorin was stacking two barrels near the trap door.

"Are you sure you'll be alright swimming?" Hayden asked Bilbo.

"I'll be alright!" Bilbo called confidently from the ledge.

"Ready?" Thorin asked her and she nodded assuredly. "You go first."

"Alright," she said, walking to the trap door.

Thorin picked up a barrel and pushed it through the trap door, lowering it slowly and carefully down until it hit the water. One of Bilbo's hands caught tight hold of it and Thorin let it go.

"I've got it!" Bilbo called up.

"Be careful," Thorin said, watching Hayden nervously as she sat down on the floor and began to lower herself over the edge.

As soon as she was holding herself up with only her hands and she had lined herself up with the barrel, she gave a leap of faith and let herself fall into the barrel, landing quite hard against the wood so that the barrel sunk slightly into the water.

She straightened up and looked over to Bilbo, who looked like he was struggling with the weight, and she wondered how on earth he would hold Thorin.

"Are you alright?" Thorin called down to her.

"I'm fine," she said, raising her voice above the sounds of the river, "If we lose each other we'll meet in Lake-town."

Thorin nodded and so did Bilbo. She took a deep breath and nodded to Bilbo, and the hobbit gave her one last nervous glance before letting go of the barrel and allowing her to be swept off by the current.

* * *

The barrel ride was rocky and uncomfortable, only made worse by Hayden's sudden pains. She tried her best to focus on her breathing and keeping the barrel balanced whenever it made a jerky movement, but it seemed to only heighten the intensity of the pain.

She spent the most part sitting at the bottom of the barrel, only daring to look out the top for any sign of the other company members every so often. Standing up only made the barrel uneven and could cause it to overturn, as she had discovered from experience.

For what seemed like hours Hayden drifted undisturbed along with the current, and she felt worse as time went on.

It was only until she heard what she thought were cheers that she awoke from her stupor and slowly lifted herself to look out of the barrel, careful not to tip it over.

"Hayden!"

Her eyes locked immediately to the source of the noise and she beamed and laughed despite herself.

She was in the shallows of Long-lake, about ten meters from the shore. Not far from her was a cluster of buildings sitting above the water level that could only be Lake-town. The dwarves were all unpacking themselves from the barrels when they had noticed her barrel floating near the shore and began cheering her name; after all, it had been nearly two weeks since she had seen them.

What really stumped her though, was that Thorin was somehow already with them, when he had left after her. Not that she cared too much; he was alive, and that's what mattered.

She tipped the barrel slightly to the side so that she could slide out of it, slipping her rucksack over her shoulder as she did so, and she waded through the knee high water to the shore.

"She lives!" Fili cried, grinning broadly and holding his arms up to her.

She laughed and stopped to give a dramatic bow before continuing on through the water towards them. Kili laughed and grinned with his brother and ran up to meet her at the edge of the water, pulling her into a tight hug and lifting her off the ground to spin her in his arms.

"So those elves didn't get you drunk then?" Kili grinned once he had put her down.

"Of course not," she laughed, "They drank it all before I could get to it, the greedy bastards-"

"Don't I get a hug?" Fili asked, and smirked as he pulled her into a warm hug like his brother had.

"Nice to see being locked up for a fortnight didn't kill your spirits," Hayden grinned to the young dwarves as they made their way to the company, who all called out their hellos to her.

"Are you kidding? That was nothing," Kili scoffed, "And the barrels were the best part."

"Except for the smell," Fili said, shaking his head, "I never want to smell apples again."

"Apples?" Kili frowned.

"My barrel smelt like nothing but apples," Fili explained, "Never again!"

"Wait- where is Bilbo?" Hayden asked quickly, looking around the group.

"Here!" came a gasping breath from the water's edge, "I'm here."

Bilbo was soaked to the bone and shivering slightly, but he was alive and well. He gave them all a weak smile and sighed, seemingly just glad that they were all there.

Hayden sighed in relief and made to go to him, but a harsh voice behind her stopped her.

"Where's the hobbit?" Dwalin barked, marching over to where they stood, "I'm gonna kill him!"

"Wait- what?" Bilbo gaped, taking a few quick steps back away from Dwalin.

"This was your idea," Dwalin growled, "And we almost drowned in those barrels."

"I- I- uh," Bilbo stuttered nervously.

"What were you thinking-?"

"Shazara!" _[Silence!]_

It was the last thing anyone expected to see: Thorin Oakenshield silencing his kin and standing defensively in front of Bilbo.

Dwalin looked taken aback and stared at Thorin, while the other dwarves had similar reactions.

"Master Baggins has saved our lives on more than one occasion," Thorin growled, "We should thank our stars that we have him as our burglar, for I know we would not be standing here without him."

There was an awkward and stunned silence that passed through the Company, and in all of it Hayden couldn't help but show a small smile.

"I wished as much as you all that Master Baggins had thought up a more comfortable means of travel," Thorin continued, his voice slightly less forceful, "But we are here, and we are alive."

Dwalin shifted uncomfortably and looked down to the ground.

"Thank you, Thorin," Bilbo smiled slightly.

Thorin nodded stiffly and passed eyes over his kin, who all looked quite ashamed that they had been grumbling and complaining in the first place.

"I am sorry, Bilbo," Dwalin grunted, not meeting the hobbit's eyes, "We are all in your service."

Bilbo smiled and nodded, tapping his hands nervously against his pants.

"I am sure we will all feel properly grateful when we are fed and rested," Thorin said, clapping Dwalin on the shoulder, "We make for Lake-town."

Thorin nodded to the rest of his kin, gesturing for them to follow him. He walked over and took Hayden's hand, and led her towards the wooden buildings that were Lake-town.

* * *

When the Company reached the main gates to Lake-town, they found them guarded by a group of men, though they seemed to be more involved with drinking and laughing rather than protecting their town.

At the Company's sudden appearance, the guards stumbled to their feet and groped around for their weapons.

_Real smooth_, Hayden inwardly smirked.

"What is your business here?" A guard asked.

"I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror King Under the Mountain," Thorin stepped forward, "I wish to see the Master of your town."

Despite his lack of armor, worn and ragged clothes and damp hair – and the fact that he was a fair few feet shorter than them – Thorin still gave off an extremely intimidating aura.

The guard's exchanged glances with one another, before the guard who had spoken stepped forward as confidently as he could to address Thorin.

"I must ask that you lay down your arms before entering our town," the guard said.

"We have none," Thorin said simply, "We only ask to speak to your Master."

"He is at a feast," another guard stepped forward, looking curiously over the Company.

"Feast?" the dwarves muttered excitedly between themselves.

"All the more reason for us to speak to him," Dwalin grunted, stepping beside Thorin, "We have had a long journey to be standing before you."

The guards considered them for a moment, and one, who looked to be the captain of their group, nodded and beckoned them forward.

"We will take you to the Master," he said.

Huddled in a tight group, the Company was led over a bridge and into the center of the town.

"The feast is just over here," the guard said, pointing to a hall to their left where lights flickered bright and music and laughter could be heard echoing from it.

When they entered the large wooden doors of the hall the guard stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Master!" he called loudly, his voice echoing around the hall.

The noise died in an instant and all eyes turned to examine the strange sight that had appeared in their hall.

Thorin stepped forward, raising himself to his full height.

"I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror King Under the Mountain," Thorin said proudly, his deep voice echoing around the silent hall, "We are the dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland."

The man, who could only be the Master, stood up slowly from his chair, staring wide-eyed at Thorin. He was a tall man, and quite burly, with a thick neck and a wide figure to match it. His eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and curiosity as he looked upon the bedraggled company.

"Thorin?" the Master murmured disbelievingly.

Whispers began to echo around the hall as the inhabitants of Lake-town stared at the Company, and the Master made his way down the hall towards them. Hayden examined him closely, and came to the conclusion she much preferred looking at him from afar; he wasn't any less disgusting close up.

"We heard tell of your return," the man said to Thorin in a ragged voice. "News had reached us you had been captured by Thranduil King."

"We were-" Thorin paused, searching for the right words, "_Wrongfully imprisoned_ by the wood-elves, but nothing shall stop my kin and I from returning to our rightful home."

The Master examined Thorin further, and Hayden thought she had some idea of what was going through his head. If this journey was anything like the book – and she definitely thought it was – then this Master was always nervous of the opinion of Thranduil, as he was not someone you wanted as your enemy. If he discovered they had escaped without Thranduil's knowledge, then they could be in serious trouble.

However, the people of Lake-town had a much different reaction from their Master. After they had soaked in the fact that the lost heir to the line of Durin had appeared out of nowhere, they stood up off their seats and began cheering quite loudly.

"Thorin, you and your kin are most welcome here," a man approached Thorin and roughly shook his hand.

Thorin was taken aback by the sudden reaction, and the Master didn't look any less stunned.

The news of their arrival did not stay secret for long. Hayden would have thought they had mobile phones from how fast the news travelled, because soon it seemed the whole town was awake and celebrating.

Hayden laughed and looked in amazement at Kili, who just shrugged and smiled back.

"It's a party, Parker," he grinned, "Enjoy it while you can!"

"I don't understand," Bilbo frowned, "Why are they happy?"

"Thorin's return means Smaug might finally be defeated," Hayden explained, but Bilbo still looked confused. "Erebor wasn't the only Kingdom affected by Smaug."

Bilbo nodded knowingly and looked around incredulously with the dwarves at the sudden celebrations.

Once he had recovered from the initial shock, the Master offered them all food and drink, and their own chambers to stay in while in the town, and Thorin graciously accepted.

While the rest of the dwarves mingled, danced and ate to their hearts content, the Master offered Thorin a place on his high table, along with Fili, Kili and Bilbo.

Hayden hadn't been bothered in the slightest that the Master seemed to be ignoring her presence, in fact she rather liked it that way after the unwanted attention from a certain pompous wood-elf King. When she made to follow Dwalin and Balin into the crowd, Thorin caught her hand quickly and gave her a questioning look.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To eat," she frowned, as if this were obvious.

"And you think I'm going to let you wander alone in a crowd of drunk men?" he scoffed, "You are coming with me."

She agreed without protest and allowed him to lead her through the crowd to where Fili, Kili and Bilbo were already sat on the high table.

"Thorin," the Master quickly stepped in Thorin's way before they could ascend the stairs to the table. He flashed Thorin an arrogant smile and Hayden had to hold back a gag when she noticed his yellow rotten teeth.

"We do not let _women_ sit at the high table," the Master said stiffly, casting a second's glance at Hayden. It took all her will power not to bite back.

Thorin's jaw tightened slightly and when he talked Hayden could see he was trying to control himself.

"I am sure you could make an exception for Hayden," Thorin said.

"I don't think so," the man shook his head adamantly.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear," Thorin said, and though his voice was quiet it seemed to echo off the walls, "This _woman_ is to be Queen of Erebor when the time comes… so I will say again: I am sure you could make an exception for her."

The Master held his ground well, but Hayden noticed him quiver slightly at the tone of Thorin's voice. The man looked at Hayden once more, and she held his emotionless gaze, and slowly he nodded.

"Yes- yes, of course," the Master chuckled, clapping Thorin on the shoulder merrily, "Do beg my pardon, old customs and traditions."

With another nod the man disappeared from their sight, clearing the way.

Hayden whistled under her breath and raised her eyebrows. _I knew he could kick ass, but not like that!_

They quickly ascended the three steps up to the high table and Thorin pulled out a chair for Hayden and helped her in, and then took his own seat in the center of the table. On her left sat Kili, and on Thorin's right sat Fili and Bilbo.

The food was already set out in front of them when they arrived, and Hayden began helping herself as soon as Thorin did, not wanting to do anything out of place.

She ate in silence while the others talked around her, soaking up everything that had happened.

They were past Mirkwood – thank god – and the Woodland Realm. Now came one of the biggest parts of all; travelling to Erebor. And after that- well, she kept repressing what happened after that. But she _would_ find a way to change that Battle, even if it meant risking her own life.

Deep in thought, she allowed her eyes to scan over the crowd, catching sight of a dwarf every so often, until they locked on another pair of eyes, which caught her full attention. A man, with dark shoulder length hair and a short beard, was staring at her with rapt interest from his seat. He was quite good looking compared to the other men, though his stare made Hayden nothing but uncomfortable. She had never seen him before in her life, but she couldn't help but get the feeling he was watching her for a reason.

"I am rather enjoying this," Kili mused, lounging back in his chair. Hayden broke her gaze from the man and turned to Kili, trying to forget what she had seen.

"It's a wonder you never gain weight from eating so much," Hayden scoffed, looking incredulously at the number of empty plates in front of him.

"I digest fast," he grinned.

"If I ate a quarter of what you just ate I would gain weight like that," she clicked her fingers. Kili just shrugged arrogantly, as if a fast metabolism was one of the downfalls of his life.

"Hey lads!" Bofur appeared, pushing his way through the crowd. In his hand he held a rather large pint of ale and his hat was slightly askew.

"There are some nice young lasses I want you to meet," Bofur grinned and winked mischievously.

As if their seats had been suddenly set on fire, Fili and Kili leapt up and jumped skillfully over the table.

"Come on Hayden," Fili called expectantly, gesturing for her to follow.

"Oh no way," she scoffed, "I know what happens when you two and party's mix."

"That's what makes them fun," Kili grinned, "Live a little Parker!"

Hayden smiled to herself, remembering when her friend Daniel had said that to her back in England. Now look where she was…

"Alright," she nodded, much to the young dwarves surprise.

"Will you come?" she asked Thorin, who was watching their conversation curiously with his elbow leaning on the armrest and his hand resting against his chin.

"No- I have matters to discuss with the Master," he said and his expression turned suddenly serious, "Stay by Fili and Kili."

"Of course," she smiled, pressing a light kiss to his lips before running around the table to join Fili and Kili.

"Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Kili grinned, taking her elbow and leading her through the crowd.

They reached a circle of people where there was dancing and music, and Hayden could see quite a few dwarves in the midst.

"Come on lass!" Bofur grinned, breaking away from the crowd and reaching for her.

She took his hand with a smile and he pulled her into quite an energetic dance, and though she had no idea what she was doing, it was the most fun she had had in a long time.

* * *

A few hours later Hayden had collapsed on a bench near the festivities, after having her fair share of fun and dance.

The party still looked like it would be continuing for a good few more hours – _and I thought 21__st__ century parties were bad!_

She planned on waiting for Thorin to reveal himself so they could find their room, but she was in no rush. She was enjoying watching the dwarves having such a good time, and she even noticed Bilbo break a smile once or twice.

"Night, Hayden," Fili grinned as he passed her, leading a woman around her age by the hand.

"What are you-?" Hayden began, looking from Fili to the girl, "Oh."

"See you in the morning," he said in a singsong voice.

"Be careful!" she called after him, shaking her head.

As she settled back in her seat her eyes passed over the crowd and she noticed the dark haired man who had been staring at her while she was eating. He stood at the opposite end of the hall to her, and while the other men around him were laughing and talking rowdily, he remained silent, his gaze just as intense as it had been the first time she had noticed him.

"Fili being careful? That idea is unheard of," a voice beside her scoffed, and she jumped, not having realised Thorin had sat beside her. She reluctantly broke her gaze from the man and Thorin kissed her on her temple and wound his arm around her waist.

"No, he just- he was going off with a girl and I don't want him making any _mistakes_," she said quietly, "If you know what I mean."

"He knows what he's doing," Thorin shrugged, a little too carelessly for her liking.

She frowned and looked back over to the other side of the hall, but saw that the dark-haired man had disappeared.

"Is everything alright?" Thorin asked, looking to where she was staring.

"Hm? Oh no I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing a smile and placing a soft hand on his leg. "How was your night?"

"Tedious," he sighed, "That _Master_ is blind to anything that happens outside his town… if I didn't know better I would say he only allowed us to stay here because his people agreed to it."

_Ding ding ding, we have a winner_, Hayden thought, but outwardly she just shrugged.

"He offered us stay for as long as we wish," Thorin continued.

"And how long _will_ we stay for?"

"Durin's day is but a few weeks away," he said, "We can allow ourselves a weeks rest at most before we must make for Erebor."

She nodded her approval and as she did so, a man walking by caught her eye. He was obviously drunk, because he was staggering and leaning slightly to the left, but he raised his eyebrows to her and his eyes trailed over her body with a satisfied smirk.

"Urgh, keep walking," she said bluntly, and the man shrugged and staggered off into the crowd.

Thorin looked from her to the disappearing figure of the man and laughed out loud, a mixture of pride and disbelief.

"It's not that funny," she smirked, "In what world would I ever agree to _that_?"

"You cannot blame the man for trying," he laughed.

Hayden raised her eyebrows in surprise and smiled – obviously he had had a little too much to drink, because usually his reaction to someone attempting to hit on her would have been much different.

"And here I was worried you could not protect yourself," he said, his hand lovingly rubbing her waist.

"When you've been to English nightclubs you learn how to fend off low lives," she smirked.

"Hey!" Kili yelled, tumbling through the crowd and staggering towards Hayden and Thorin.

"Whoa there, you're going to do yourself an injury," Hayden said, as Kili skidded to an unsteady halt in front of them.

"There's another party starting up," Kili said with an excited smile, "Apparently there's gonna be fireworks and pipe weed and… well that's all, but it's gonna be great."

Thorin sighed and clicked his tongue impatiently.

"So why are you still here?" Thorin asked, and Hayden swatted him on the arm with her hand.

"You should both come," Kili grinned.

"Oh that's sweet Kili, but I think I'm going to get some rest," she smiled, "But Thorin might want to-"

"No," Thorin said bluntly, "Go. But be back by dawn."

"Gotcha," Kili slurred, winking at them and staggering away from them.

"Make good choices!" Hayden called after him, and rolled her eyes and waved a hand, knowing it was no use.

"Shall we adjourn to our quarters?" Thorin asked, "I can think of something fun we can do that is much better than fireworks and pipe weed."

"_Better_ than fireworks and pipe weed?" she asked mockingly, "That's some pretty big expectations to fill."

"I accept that challenge," he flirted, kissing her once and standing up from the seat.

Hayden followed him and he took her hand in his before leading her through the crowd of people and out the doors of the hall, away from the noise.

"Do you know where we're going?" she asked, quickening her steps so that she was walking alongside him, their hands still intertwined.

"The Master gave me directions," he said, "I also informed the others where they are staying aswell."

Hayden nodded; "I hope Bilbo's alright – he doesn't enjoy these types of parties too much."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Thorin shrugged.

Hayden considered him for a moment, inwardly debating whether to bring up a certain topic.

"It was really nice what you did before," she said, "Defending Bilbo like that."

Thorin smiled and looked to the ground, "It was the least I could do for him… he is not as useless as I thought he was."

"Well in any case," she smiled, rubbing his hand with her thumb, "I was very proud of you."

"Proud?" Thorin smirked.

"Yes," she nodded, "Can you imagine what people will say when they find out Thorin Oakenshield has _feelings_?" she added with a smirk.

Thorin chuckled, "I assume they will be very shocked indeed."

She laughed and they continued on in silence, enjoying the space and fresh air after being locked away for such a long time.

"This is it," Thorin said, nodding to a cluster of small buildings that had been placed to form an 'O' shape.

"No one lives here?"

"They're for guests, apparently," Thorin grunted, "We'll take the largest."

"That's not fair," she frowned, "There's only two of us and we'll be sharing a bed-"

"I am their King and I can do whatever I want," he smirked playfully.

_Okay, now I know he's _definitely _had too much to drink._

"As you wish, my King," she bowed mockingly.

Thorin purposely ignored her and concentrated on choosing a cabin for them.

"What about that one?" Hayden asked, pointing to the one nearest to them.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's occupied."

"How do you-?"

As she spoke she began to hear the sounds that Thorin's ears had heard before hers, and they were not sounds she ever wanted to hear. She couldn't ever put into words for anyone exactly what she heard, because she would be forever repressing the memory, but let's just say it sounded a lot like Fili and a young girl in the middle of a particular 'deed.'

"Oh my god," Hayden cringed, quickly pulling Thorin away from that cabin.

Thorin laughed at her reaction and she glared at him.

"Why is that funny?" she asked, "I'll never be able to look at him the same ever again."

"I've known the lad his entire life, and I still cannot see him in the same way," he shrugged, "The memories do not fade fast."

"Thanks for that," she shivered, attempting to bury the sounds deep in the back of her mind.

"What about this one?" she asked, "It's got a river view."

Thorin considered the cabin for a moment and nodded, "A wise choice."

When they entered the cabin they found it was larger than it looked on the outside, but still quite small. In the main room was a double bed with candles lit on either side of it, and there was a door to the left leading into a bathroom.

"Good enough for me," Thorin shrugged, closing the door with his foot and wrapping his arms around Hayden, embracing her in a deep kiss.

She gasped at his sudden contact and quickly sunk into the kiss, burying her hand in his hair. His movements and kisses were so wild and without any restraint now that they were finally fully alone.

Her hands found his waist and trailed up his chest, pulling up his shirt as she went. He broke their kiss for a split second, allowing her to fling his shirt off of him. When he embraced her once again, he wrapped his arms under her behind so that he could hoist her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

With great skill and strength, Thorin slowly moved towards the bed and lowered Hayden onto it, crawling onto the bed over her and settling between her legs, all the while never breaking their embrace.

His hands moved down to caress her sides, bunching her shirt in his hands and pulling it slowly up over her stomach. She moaned against his lips before he broke away, kissing and nipping down her neck, his hands greedily exploring her body.

When he reached her lower stomach however he stopped and lifted off her with a frown.

"What is it?" she asked, a little breathlessly, propping herself up on her elbows to look at him.

"Hayden…" he frowned, "You're… bleeding."

* * *

**I hope you've all seen the Desolation of Smaug trailer... eep! Let's just say I've had Benedict Cumberbatch's Smaug voice on repeat for a very long time :3**

**To my fellow Aussies (if any) there is 64 days until DoS is released and 12 days until the extended edition of An Unexpected Journey (yes, I'm counting down). To all those outside Australia - you lucky bastards! :) We always get ripped with late movie release dates down under.**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next in Chapter 41 of ****_An Unexpected Journey_****!**


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